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

ESI-MS of Cucurbituril Complexes Under Negative Polarity

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is a powerful tool to study host-guest supramolecular interactions. ESI-MS can be used for detailed gas-phase reactivity studies, to clarify the structure, or simply to verify the formation of complexes. Depending on the structure of the host and of the guest, negative and/or positive ESI are used. Here we report the unexpected formation of host-guest complexes between cucurbit[n]urils (n = 7, 8, CB[n]) and amine, styryl pyridine, and styryl pyridine dimer cations, under negative ESI. Non-complexed CB[n] form double charged halide (Br-, Cl-, F-) adducts. Under negative ESI, halide ions interact with CB[n] outer surface hydrogen atoms. One to one host-guest complexes (1:1) of CB[n] with positive charged guests were also observed as single and double charged ions under negative ESI. The positive charge of guests is neutralized by ion-pairing with halide anions. Depending on the number of positive charges guests retain in the gas phase, one or two additional halide ions are required for neutralization. Complexes 1:2 of CB[8] with styryl pyridines retain two halide ions in the gas phase, one per guest. Styryl pyridine dimers form 1:1 complexes possessing a single extra halide ion and therefore a single positive charge. Negative ESI is sensitive to small structural differences between complexes, distinguishing between 1:2 complexes of styryl pyridine-CB[8] and corresponding 1:1 complexes with the dimer. Negative ESI gives simpler spectra than positive ESI and allows the determination of guest charge state of CB[n] complexes in the gas phase

A contribuição dos estudos transculturais dos países latino-americanos e caribenhos para a revisão da CID-10: resultados preliminares The contribution of Latin American and Caribbean countries on culture bound syndromes studies for the ICD-10 revision: key findings from a working in progress

OBJETIVO: Esta revisão visa identificar as evidências dos estudos de países da América Latina e do Caribe para a inclusão das síndromes transculturais na versão da Classificação Internacional de Doenças para sua 11ª Edição. MÉTODO: Os estudos foram identificados nas bases do Medline, LILACS e EMBASE, no período de 1992 a 2008, e classificados segundo o tipo de estudo, tipo de transtorno, país e número de publicações por ano. RESULTADOS: Foram selecionadas e classificadas 163 publicações: 33 no Medline, 90 no EMBASE e 40 no LILACS. A percentagem das síndromes transculturais ("culture bound-syndrome") correspondeu a 9% no Medline, 12% no EMBASE e 2,5% no LILACS. Dos 15 estudos sobre síndromes transculturais, dois eram sobre "nervios e ataque de nervios", dois sobre "susto", quatro sobre a relação entre crenças religiosas, "feitiçaria", transe e apresentação dos transtornos mentais, um sobre proposta de uma nova categoria diagnóstica, três artigos teóricos e três sobre psicopatoplastia dos transtornos mentais. CONCLUSÃO: A escassez de estudos sobre síndromes transculturais pode ter ocorrido pela dificuldade em rastrear os estudos por problema de indexação das publicações, falta de interesse em publicar tais estudos em periódicos indexados e a dificuldade de acesso às publicações. Dentre os estudos identificados, não há uma evidência clara que aponte quais modificações são necessárias nas classificações diagnósticas atuais.<br>OBJECTIVE: This review aims to verify the scientific evidences for the inclusion of culture bound syndromes in the International Classification of Diseases towards its 11th edition based on studies from Latin American and Caribbean countries. METHOD: Studies were identified in Medline, LILACS and EMBASE databases for the period between 1992 and 2008, and then classified according to the type of study, to the mental disorder, country and number of publications per year. RESULTS: 163 studies were selected and classified: 33 in MedlLne, 90 in EMBASE e 40 in LILACS. The percentage of culture bound-syndrome corresponded to 9% in Medline, 12% in EMBASE e 2.5% in LILACS. Among fifteen studies on cultural bound syndromes, two were about "nervios and ataque de nervios", two about "susto", four about the relationship between religion beliefs, witchery, trance and mental disorders, one with a proposal for new diagnostic category, three about theoretic issues and three about the pathoplasty of mental disorders. CONCLUSION: The scarcity of studies on culture bound syndromes might be due to the indexation problems hindering the screening of studies; lack of interest on publishing such studies in indexed journals (publication bias) and due to difficulty to access them. There is no robust evidence identified among cross-cultural studies to recommend changes for International Classification of Diseases-11th edition