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INTRODUCTION: Human rabies (HR) is a lethal zoonotic disease caused by lyssaviruses with increase in the number of cases post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODOLOGY: We report a case of human rabies in a patient from a rural area of Ceará, northeastern Brazil in 2023, who was bitten by a white-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix jacchus jacchus). The patient was co-infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and was diagnosed by minimally invasive autopsy (MIA). RESULTS: MIA offers many advantages related to biosafety, and speed of sample acquisition; and markedly reduces disfigurement of the body compared with complete autopsy. It is a great alternative in COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: New methods such as MIA are a promising tool for diagnosis, and have the potential to improve family cooperation and support rabies surveillance.

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Sclerotherapy is the treatment of choice for telangiectasias and reticular veins. The most common side effects of this procedure are hyperpigmentation and matting, which are feared owing to their aesthetic damage and difficulty of treatment. Combined treatments with laser and hypertonic glucose sclerotherapy have been described with excellent results, but limited to treatment of veins of ≤2 mm in diameter. Cryo laser after foam sclerotherapy is a procedure to treat reticular veins in the lower extremities that utilizes first foam sclerotherapy with polidocanol than immediately followed by transdermal Nd:YAG 1064 laser treatment and we can treat veins ≤5 mm. This report presents a successful case of varicose vein treatment using combined transdermal laser and sclerotherapy with foam sclerotherapy with polidocanol to treat veins >2.5 mm in diameter.

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OBJECTIVES: A recent European randomized trial - Tracheal Occlusion To Accelerate Lung Growth - demonstrated that fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO) is associated with increased postnatal survival among infants with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). However, this differs in middle-income countries such as Brazil, where abortion is illegal and neonatal intensive care is inadequate. This study evaluated the effects of FETO on improving the survival of infants with moderate-to-severe CDH in isolated and non-isolated cases. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study selected 49 fetuses with CDH, a normal karyotype, and a lung-to-head ratio (LHR) of <1 from a single national referral center for fetal surgery in São Paulo, Brazil, between January 2016 and November 2019. FETO was performed between 26 and 29 weeks of gestation. The primary outcomes were infant survival until discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit and survival until six months of age. RESULTS: Forty-six women with singleton fetuses having severe CDH underwent prenatal intervention with FETO. Infant survival rates until discharge and at six months of age were both 38 %. The observed-to-expected LHR increased by 25 % after FETO in neonates who survived until discharge. Spontaneous intrauterine death occurred in four growth-restricted fetuses after FETO. Preterm birth in <37 weeks and preterm rupture of membranes in <34 weeks occurred in 56.5 % (26) and 26 % (12) cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: FETO may increase neonatal survival in fetuses with severe CDH, particularly in countries with limited neonatal intensive care.

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The astrocyte population, around 50% of human brain cells, plays a crucial role in maintaining the overall health and functionality of the central nervous system (CNS). Astrocytes are vital in orchestrating neuronal development by releasing synaptogenic molecules and eliminating excessive synapses. They also modulate neuronal excitability and contribute to CNS homeostasis, promoting neuronal survival by clearance of neurotransmitters, transporting metabolites, and secreting trophic factors. Astrocytes are highly heterogeneous and respond to CNS injuries and diseases through a process known as reactive astrogliosis, which can contribute to both inflammation and its resolution. Recent evidence has revealed remarkable alterations in astrocyte transcriptomes in response to several diseases, identifying at least two distinct phenotypes called A1 or neurotoxic and A2 or neuroprotective astrocytes. However, due to the vast heterogeneity of these cells, it is limited to classify them into only two phenotypes. This review explores the various physiological and pathophysiological roles, potential markers, and pathways that might be activated in different astrocytic phenotypes. Furthermore, we discuss the astrocyte heterogeneity in the main neurodegenerative diseases and identify potential therapeutic strategies. Understanding the underlying mechanisms in the differentiation and imbalance of the astrocytic population will allow the identification of specific biomarkers and timely therapeutic approaches in various neurodegenerative diseases.

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Nanoporous gold electrodes are of great interest in electroanalytical chemistry, because of their unusual activity and large surface area. The electrochemical activity can be further improved by coating with molecular catalysts such as the tetraruthenated cobalt-tetrapyridylporphyrazines investigated in this work. The plasmonic enhancement of the scattered light at the nanoholes and borders modifies the electrode's optical characteristics, improving the transmission through the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. When monitored by hyperspectral dark-field and confocal Raman microscopy, this effect allows probing of the porphyrazine species at the plasmonic nanholes, improving the understanding of the chemically modified gold electrodes.

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Hypoxia plays a significant role in the development of various cerebral diseases, many of which are associated with the potential risk of recurrence due to mitochondrial damage. Conventional drug treatments are not always effective for hypoxia-related brain diseases, necessitating the exploration of alternative compounds. In this study, we investigated the potential of diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)2] to ameliorate locomotor impairments and mitigate brain mitochondrial dysfunction in zebrafish subjected to hypoxia. Additionally, we explored whether these improvements could confer resistance to recurrent hypoxia. Through a screening process, an appropriate dose of (PhSe)2 was determined, and animals exposed to hypoxia received a single intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg of the compound or vehicle. After 1 h from the injection, evaluations were conducted on locomotor deficits, (PhSe)2 content, mitochondrial electron transport system, and mitochondrial viability in the brain. The animals were subsequently exposed to recurrent hypoxia to assess the latency time to hypoxia symptoms. The findings revealed that (PhSe)2 effectively crossed the blood-brain barrier, attenuated locomotor deficits induced by hypoxia, and improved brain mitochondrial respiration by modulating complex III. Furthermore, it enhanced mitochondrial viability in the telencephalon, contributing to greater resistance to recurrent hypoxia. These results demonstrate the beneficial effects of (PhSe)2 on both hypoxia and recurrent hypoxia, with cerebral mitochondria being a critical target of its action. Considering the involvement of brain hypoxia in numerous pathologies, (PhSe)2 should be further tested to determine its effectiveness as a potential treatment for hypoxia-related brain diseases.

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Bryozoans are commonly associated with various artificial structures in marine environments and have been responsible for several bioinvasion events worldwide. Understanding the interactions between bryozoans and artificial structures is therefore essential to prevent the establishment and spread of potential bioinvaders. This study investigated bryozoan recruitment on four different substrates (PET, nautical ropes, metal, and PVC) placed in three orientations (vertical, horizontal facing down and facing up) in an area of the Western Atlantic. In total, 15 species of bryozoans were found. The results revealed significant variations in assemblages' richness, with bryozoans showing a preference for settling on PVC (14 species found) and on the underside of horizontal substrates (15 species found), resulting in the higher representativity observed in this study. Cryptogenic (nine species) and exotic (five species) bryozoans dominated the assemblages in all treatments, indicating that the type of substrate (especially artificial) and its orientation can favor the settlement of bryozoans, particularly non-native species. Therefore, the availability of multiple types of artificial substrates in marine environments should be treated as a cause for concern.

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Pyrethroids are extensively used to control adult populations of the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti, raising concerns regarding the increasing frequency and distribution of insecticide resistance mutations (kdr: knock-down resistance) in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (Nav). The widespread use of pyrethroids imposes a threat to the success of mosquito control and the environment. In this study, we investigated the presence of two kdr mutations (V1016I and F1534C) in the Nav gene and their distribution across four neighborhoods in Posadas, Argentina, with different Ae. aegypti abundance and contrasting socioeconomic status (SES). Alleles at each locus were interrogated using TaqMan SNP genotyping assays in DNA extracted from adult females collected in a longitudinal study. We report the presence of both pyrethroid resistance alleles (kdr 1016I = 29.08%; kdr 1534C = 70.70%) among adult females. The frequency of combined kdr genotypes reveals that approximately 70% of local adult females have enhanced resistance to pyrethroids. Both, the proportion of resistant adult females (with at least one kdr allele in each locus) and Ae. aegypti abundance showed an uneven distribution between neighborhoods with different SES (p < 0.001). In high-SES neighborhoods, we found more mosquitoes and a higher frequency of pyrethroid resistance, possibly as a consequence of different public health interventions, social habits, and insecticide use. This is the first report of kdr mutations in Ae. Aegypti in the northeast region of Argentina. Our results focus on the need for within-population (city) distribution analyses of kdr mutations and highlight the relevance of incorporating insecticide resistance monitoring within the Integrated Vector Management initiative.

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BACKGROUND: Cryo-Laser & Cryo-Sclerotherapy (CLaCS) is a technique which combines thermal sclerotherapy and injection sclerotherapy. Telangiectasias and small varicosities are targeted by a transdermal laser and right after receive injection sclerotherapy. A cooling device blows -20°C air onto the skin and needle in a pre-, parallel-, and post-fashion. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to establish if there is a difference in result and complications by varying the sclerosing agent but keeping the same ND:Yag long pulse laser parameters in the treatment of small varicosities. METHODS: Fifty five patients were enrolled prospectively and randomized to two groups; in the group 1 dextrose 75% was the sclerosing agent used in combination with the ND:Yag long pulse laser and, in the group 2, the same laser technique was used but the sclerosing agent was polidocanol 0.3% and dextrose 67%. RESULTS: The results were evaluated 30 days after the treatment by the patients and for blinded evaluators using before and after standardized photos with and without augmented reality. In the patient's perspective and in the blinded evaluation of the regular photos, no differences between the groups were found. Both groups had low rates of hyperpigmentation and bruising with no statistical difference. Patients treated with polidocanol had less pain after the treatment and a better clearance rate in the photos with augmented reality. No major complications were found. CONCLUSION: The treatment of small varicosities with CLaCS using Dextrose 75% or polidocanol 0.3% and Dextrose 67.5% is a safe and effective procedure and both sclerosing agents can be used with similar results. Possibly, in the polidocanol group more nonvisible reticular veins were cleared, but the implication of this find is not clear.

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