The first confirmed human case of rabies, Timor-Leste, 2024.

In March 2024, the first ever human case of rabies, following a dog bite, was detected in Timor-Leste. This paper briefly discusses the circumstances of transmission, clinical presentation, palliative care of the case and public health measures taken. Timor-Leste was previously considered rabies-free. Any person who is bitten or scratched by an animal that could potentially transmit rabies virus (especially dogs, bats, monkeys or cats) in Timor-Leste should be assessed for consideration of provision of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.

Direct cellular reprogramming for cardiac repair and regeneration.

Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, characterized by depletion of functioning cardiomyocytes, myocardial remodelling, and impaired contractile function. As the heart has a limited capacity for repair, and current treatments do not reverse myocardial attrition, novel regenerative strategies are imperative. Although cell delivery-based approaches remain promising, in situ reprogramming of endogenous cardiac fibroblasts (which are pathophysiologically implicated in cardiac remodelling) into functional cardiomyocytes may represent an advantageous approach. Several groups report successful in vitro and in vivo reprogramming of murine fibroblasts, using critical transcription factors, microRNA mimics, and small molecules, to cells demonstrating cardiomyocyte-like morphology, gene expression, and spontaneous contraction, which improve cardiac function in post-infarct models. Although proof-of-concept studies demonstrate reprogramming in human fibroblasts, significant barriers to therapeutic reprogramming remain. In this review, we evaluate the current status of reprogramming strategies for cardiac repair, and explore future perspectives within the context of clinical translation.

Molecular flexibility and structural instabilities in crystalline l-methionine.

We have investigated the dynamics in polycrystalline samples of l-methionine related to the structural transition at about 307K by incoherent inelastic and quasielastic neutron scattering, X-ray powder diffraction as well as ab-initio calculations. l-Methionine is a sulfur amino acid which can be considered a derivative of alanine with the alanine R-group CH3 exchanged by CH3S(CH2)2. Using X-ray powder diffraction we have observed at ~190K an anomalous drop of the c-lattice parameter and an abrupt change of the ß-monoclinic angle that could be correlated to the anomalies observed in previous specific heat measurements. Distinct changes in the quasielastic region of the neutron spectra are interpreted as being due to the onset and slowing-down of reorientational motions of the CH3-S group, are clearly distinguished above 130K in crystalline l-methionine. Large-amplitude motions observed at low frequencies are also activated above 275K, while other well-defined vibrations are damped. The ensemble of our results suggests that the crystalline structure of l-methionine is dynamically highly disordered above 275K, and such disorder can be linked to the flexibility of the molecular thiol-ether group.

Stepwise fabrication of arbitrary fiber optic tapers.

This work reports a modified flame-brush technique to fabricate fiber tapers with arbitrary waist profiles. The flame-brush approach is used to produce small step reductions in the fiber diameter, or step-tapers, with a constant speed flame brush sweep, while the fiber is uniformly stretched. Arbitrary waist profiles in tapers are fabricated by approximating the taper diameter function to any monotonic function of the fiber length while combining a superposition of step-tapers. This method to produce the arbitrary profiles is described and a set of tapers with dissimilar transition regions are fabricated for its validation.

Efeito da administração oral do Saccharamyces cerevisiae na tolerabilidade à terapia de erradicação do Helicobacter pylori e na redução de sintomas indesejáveis / Effect of oral administration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy tolerability and on undersirable symptoms reduction

Objetivo: a terapia tríplice por sete dias tem sido a mais utilizada na erradicação do Helicobacter pylori. Efeitos gastrointestinais indesejáveis deste tratamento são frequentes. A suplementação de probióticos deverá prevenir ou reduzir tais manifestações. O presente estudo constitui-se na primeira avaliação do Saccharomyces cerevisiae e seu papel na tolerabilidade aos efeitos colaterais da terapia de erradicação do H. pylori, e teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da administração oral do S. cerevisiae na prevenção ou redução dos sintomas indesejáveis da terapia convencional anti-Helicobacter pylori. Métodos: oitenta e oito voluntários assintomáticos, triados positivamente para infecção por H. pylori, foram randomizados para tratamento de uma semana com lansoprazol 30mg, duas vezes ao dia, amoxicilina 1g, duas vezes ao dia, claritromicina 500mg, duas vezes ao dia, e o probiótico S. cerevisiae, duas vezes ao dia por 14 dias ou o mesmo regime com placebo em substituição ao S. cerevisiae. Os pacientes foram orientados a preencherem um questionário durante a semana do tratamento, e as três semanas seguintes para determinar o tipo e a severidade dos efeitos colaterais e fazer um julgamento geral sobre a sua tolerabilidade. Resultados: alterações de paladar, perda de apetite e vômitos foram significativamente reduzidos no grupo com S. cerevisiae (p=0,001, p=0,02 e p=0,03, respectivamente). Uma avaliação geral da tolerabilidade ao tratamento mostrou uma diferença significativa em favor do grupo com probiótico. Conclusão: a suplementação com o S. cerevisiae mostrou um impacto positivo sobre os efeitos colaterais da terapia de erradicação do H. pylori e uma melhor tolerabilidade ao tratamento.

Background: the one week triple therapy is considered gold standard for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Undesirable gastrointestinal effects during the treatment are frequent. The additional administration of probiotics should prevent or reduce those effects. This essay is the first description of the role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae´s administration on reducing side effects of the H. pylori eradication therapy. Objectives: to evaluate the effects of oral administration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on reducing or preventing undesirable symptoms during the conventional anti-H. pylori therapy. Patients and Methods: Eighty eight asymptomatic volunteers infected by H. pylori were randomized and treated with lansoprazole 30mg twice a day, amoxicillin 1000mg twice a day, claritromicin 500mg twice a day for one week and Saccharomyces cerevisiae twice a day for two weeks or the same regimen with placebo instead of S. cerevisiae. Patients fulfilled a questionnaire regarding the kind and severity of the symptoms during the week of the treatment and the following three weeks and also made a general judgment of the tolerability of the treatment. Results: taste disorders, loss of appetite and vomits were significantly reduced in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae group (p=0,001, p=0,02 e p=0,03, respectively). A significant difference in favor of the probiotic group was found in the general judgment of treatment tolerability. Conclusion: the additional administration of S. cerevisiae showed a positive impact on side effects of H. pylori eradication therapy and a beter treatment tolerability.

Structure-property relations in crystalline L-leucine obtained from calorimetry, X-rays, neutron and Raman scattering.

We have studied the amino acid L-leucine (LEU) using inelastic neutron scattering, X-rays and neutron diffraction, calorimetry and Raman scattering as a function of temperature, focusing on the relationship between the local dynamics of the NH(3), CH(3), CH(2) and CO(2) moieties and the molecular structure of LEU. Calorimetric and diffraction data evidenced two novel phase transitions at about 150 K (T(1)) and 275 K (T(2)). The dynamical susceptibility function, obtained from the inelastic neutron scattering results, shows a re-distribution of the intensity of the vibrational bands that can be directly correlated with the phase transitions observed at T(1) and T(2), as well as with the already reported phase transition at T(3) = 353 K. Through the analysis of the Raman modes, the new structural arrangement observed below T(1) was related to conformational modifications of the CH and CH(3) groups, while the behavior of the N-H stretching vibration, ν(NH(3)), gave insight into the intermolecular N-H…O interactions. The observation of changes in the translational symmetry in the crystalline lattice, as well as anharmonic dynamics, allows for localized motions in LEU.

Aneurismas intracraneanos: hallazgos en tomografía computada y angiografía / Computed tomographic and angiographic signs of intracraneal aneurysms

Exploramos a 10 pacientes con sospecha clínica de hemorragia subaracnoidea (HSA) mediante tomografía computada (TC) y angiografía cerebral (AC). La valoración tuvo dos objetivos: detectar datos de HSA y demostrar el saco aneurismático. Tuvimos una sensibilidad para ello de 80 a 58.3 por ciento, respectivamante. La C demostró en total 12 aneurismas intracraneanos (AI). Los más frecuentes fueron de tipo sacular, y el territorio arterial más afectado, el de la cerebral media derecha. En 10 de 12 AI hubo irregularidad en la pared y espasmo arterial. El tamaño promedio en el diámetro anteroposterior fue de 8 mm, y en el transverso, de 7.5 mm

Correlación clínica y con imagen por resonancia magnética en aneurismas intracraneanos / Clinica and magnetic resonance imaging correlation in intracraneal aneurysms

11 mujeres y dos hombres fueron evaluados clínicamente y por resonancia magnética (IRM) ante la sospecha de hemorragia subaracnoidea (HSA), 38 por ciento de los enfermos tuvieron antecedentes de hipertesión arterial sistémica, con cefalea en 92 por ciento, 62 por ciento de localización frontal acompañada de náuseas y vómito en 38 por ciento de los pacientes. 11 pacientes refirieron cefalea de más de 24 horas de evolución. En los hallazgos a la exploración clínica se detectó rigidez de nuca en 30 por ciento de los afectados. Ocho de los 13 pacientes se sometieron a intervención neuroquirúrgica, cinco tuvieron buena evolución y tres fallecieron. En cuanto a los resultados por IRM, detectamos 11 de 14 aneurismas intracraneanos (Al), en 71 por ciento de ellos se demostró el cuello del aneurisma, en 64 por ciento vasoespasmo asociado y HSA en 76 por ciento. Los datos se confirmaron con tomografía computada (TC) y angiografía cerebral(AC)

Tumores pancreáticos poco frecuentes: experiencia de 10 años / Infrequent pancreatic tumors: 10 years experience

Se informan tres casos de adenoma microquístico, un caso de tumor papilar y quístico, un caso de cistadenocarcinoma mucinoso, un caso de leiomiosarcoma y un casos de carcinoma insular no funcionante del páncreas. Se recalca la importancia de los aspectos clínicos, histológicos, inmunohistoquímicos, ultraestructurales, y de la citometría de flujo para poder identificar estas neoplasias tan poco frecuentes. Se hace una revisión de la literatura médica pertinente y se señalan los procedimientos de diagnóstico y tratamiento

Tumores pancreáticos poco frecuentes: experiencia de 10 años / Infrequent pancreatic tumors: 10 years experience

Se informan tres casos de adenoma microquístico, uno de tumor papilar y quístico, uno de cistadenocarcinoma mucinoso, uno de leiomiosarcoma insular no funcionante del páncreas. Se hace énfasis en los aspectos clínicos, histológicos, inmunohistoquímicos, ultraestructurales, citometría de flujo, para poder identificar estas neoplasias poco frecuentes. Se hace una revisión de la literatura médica y se señalan los procedimientos de diagnóstico y tratamiento.

Doença de chagas na bacia amazônica: ocorrência de um novo caso autoctone do Estado do Pará / Chagas Disease in Amazon basin: occurrence of the new autochthon case in the Para state

Os autores registram a ocorrencia de mais de um caso autoctone de doenca de Chagas no Estado do Para, desta feita na localidade de Sao Francisco do Para, distante 95 km da capital. Esse caso constitui o 11ä registrado no Estado e o 29ä da bacia amazonica. O paciente, um menino de 7 anos de idade, teve diagnostico sorologico e parasitologico positivos para T. cruzi. O perfilenzimatico da amostra isolada foi caracterizado por eletroforese de enzimas como zimodema