SARS-CoV-2 antibody dynamics in blood donors and COVID-19 epidemiology in eight Brazilian state capitals: A serial cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 situation in Brazil is complex due to large differences in the shape and size of regional epidemics. Understanding these patterns is crucial to understand future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 or other respiratory pathogens in the country. METHODS: We tested 97,950 blood donation samples for IgG antibodies from March 2020 to March 2021 in 8 of Brazil's most populous cities. Residential postal codes were used to obtain representative samples. Weekly age- and sex-specific seroprevalence were estimated by correcting the crude seroprevalence by test sensitivity, specificity, and antibody waning. RESULTS: The inferred attack rate of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2020, before the Gamma variant of concern (VOC) was dominant, ranged from 19.3% (95% credible interval [CrI] 17.5-21.2%) in Curitiba to 75.0% (95% CrI 70.8-80.3%) in Manaus. Seroprevalence was consistently smaller in women and donors older than 55 years. The age-specific infection fatality rate (IFR) differed between cities and consistently increased with age. The infection hospitalisation rate increased significantly during the Gamma-dominated second wave in Manaus, suggesting increased morbidity of the Gamma VOC compared to previous variants circulating in Manaus. The higher disease penetrance associated with the health system's collapse increased the overall IFR by a minimum factor of 2.91 (95% CrI 2.43-3.53). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the utility of blood donor serosurveillance to track epidemic maturity and demonstrate demographic and spatial heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 spread. FUNDING: This work was supported by Itaú Unibanco 'Todos pela Saude' program; FAPESP (grants 18/14389-0, 2019/21585-0); Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship 204311/Z/16/Z; the Gates Foundation (INV- 034540 and INV-034652); REDS-IV-P (grant HHSN268201100007I); the UK Medical Research Council (MR/S0195/1, MR/V038109/1); CAPES; CNPq (304714/2018-6); Fundação Faculdade de Medicina; Programa Inova Fiocruz-CE/Funcap - Edital 01/2020 Number: FIO-0167-00065.01.00/20 SPU N°06531047/2020; JBS - Fazer o bem faz bem

Terpenoid biotransformations by Mucor species

Terpenoids are natural products of great interest due to their widespread use in agrochemicals, drugs, fragrances, flavouring and pigments. Biocatalysts are increasingly being used in the search for new derivatives with improved properties especially to obtain structurally novel leads for new drugs which are difficult to obtain using conventional organic chemical methods. This review, covering up to the end of 2012, reports on the application of Mucor species as catalysts in terpenoid biotransformation to obtain new drug targets, enhance pharmacological activity or decrease the unwanted effects of starting material

Avaliação protéica de uma nova multimistura com base no milho QPM BR 473 Protein evaluation of a nutritional supplement based on QPM BR 473 maize

A multimistura tem sido utilizada no Brasil pela Pastoral da Criança, em parceria com governos municipais, a fim de reduzir a desnutrição infantil. Não obstante, a eficácia deste suplemento tem sido constantemente arguida, devido à possível presença de fatores antinutricionais. No presente trabalho descrevemos a avaliação biológica de um suplemento contendo milho QPM BR473. Trinta e seis ratos Wistar machos, com 21-23 dias de idade, foram divididos em seis grupos de seis animais cada e alimentados com dietas de caseína contendo multimistura pura, com QPM BR473, láctea (contendo leite em pó), láctea contendo QPM BR473 ou a multimistura proposta (contendo QPM BR473, farinhas de aveia, soja e banana e açúcar mascavo). Mediu-se a Retenção Protéica Líquida. A condição microbiológica dos suplementos e seu custo foram também determinados. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o QPM BR473 pode ser usado em suplementos nutricionais, com alto valor nutritivo, expresso por sua qualidade protéica, e com baixa relação custo/benefício.<br>Nutritional supplements, known as "multimisturas", prepared with low cost ingredients have been distributed in Brazil by municipal governments, in partnership with non-governmental organizations, in order to reduce infant malnutrition. Nevertheless the efficacy of these supplements has been constantly argued, due to the possible presence of anti-nutritional factors. The present work describes the biological evaluation of a supplement containing Quality Protein Maize BR 473. Thirty six 21-23-day old male Wistar rats were divided into six groups of six animals each. The groups were fed casein diets, each containing respectively: "multimistura", "multimistura" with QPM BR 473, "multimistura" with powdered milk, "multimistura" with powderedmilk and QPM BR 473 or the proposed new supplement (containing QPM BR 473 flour, oat meal, soybean flour, brown sugar and banana meal). Net protein retention was measured. Microbiological condition and cost of the supplements were also determined. The results showed that QPM BR 473 can be used in nutritional supplements, with high nutritional value, as expressed by its protein quality, and low cost/benefit ratio