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Multiple epicenters of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have emerged since the first pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China, such as Italy, USA, and Brazil. Brazil is the third-most affected country worldwide, but genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 strains are mostly restricted to states from the Southeast region. Pernambuco state, located in the Northeast region, is the sixth most affected Brazilian state, but very few genomic sequences from the strains circulating in this region are available. We sequenced 101 strains of SARS-CoV-2 from patients presenting Covid-19 symptoms that reside in Pernambuco. Phylogenetic reconstructions revealed that all genomes belong to the B lineage and most of the samples (88%) were classified as lineage B.1.1. We detected multiple viral introductions from abroad (likely from Europe) as well as six local B.1.1 clades composed by Pernambuco only strains. Local clades comprise sequences from the capital city (Recife) and other country-side cities, corroborating the community spread between different municipalities of the state. These findings demonstrate that different from Southeastern Brazilian states where the epidemics were majorly driven by one dominant lineage (B.1.1.28 or B.1.1.33), the early epidemic phase at the Pernambuco state was driven by multiple B.1.1 lineages seeded through both national and international traveling.

Background: The increasing incidence of cancer and the search for more effective therapies with minimal collateral effects have prompted studies to find alternative new treatments. Among these, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proposed as a very promising new modality in cancer treatment with the lowest rates of side effects, revealing itself to be particularly successful when the photosensitizer is associated with nanoscaled carriers. This study aimed to design and develop a new formulation based on albumin nanospheres containing zinc-phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate (ZnPcS4-AN) for use in the PDT protocol and to investigate its antitumor activity in Swiss albino mice using the Ehrlich solid tumor as an experimental model for breast cancer., Methods: Ehrlich tumor's volume, histopathology and morphometry were used to assess the efficacy of intratumoral injection of ZnPcS4-AN in containing tumor aggressiveness and promoting its regression, while the toxicity of possible treatments was assessed by animal weight, morphological analysis of the liver and kidneys, hemogram, and serum levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase, creatinine and urea. In order to evaluate the efficacy of PDT, groups of animals treated with intratumoral injection of doxorubicin (Dox) were also investigated., Results: Intratumoral injection of ZnPcS4-AN was found to be efficient in mediating PDT to refrain tumor aggressiveness and to induce its regression. Although tumor volume reduction was not significant, PDT induced a remarkable increase in the necrosis area seen in the tumor's central region, as in other experimental groups, including tumor and Dox treated groups, but also in the tumor's peripheral region. Further, PDT showed minimal adverse effects. Indeed, the use of ZnPcS4-AN in mediating PDT revealed anti-neoplastic activity similar to that obtained while using intratumoral Dox therapy., Conclusions: PDT mediated by the new formulation ZnPcS4-AN enhanced the inhibition of tumor growth while producing practically no adverse effects and thus emerges as a very promising nanotechnology-based strategy for solid cancer treatment.

In patients diagnosed with oral cancer, the most important prognostic indicator for patient survival after primary treatment is metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes or distal sites. Therefore, we evaluated the utility of photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by aluminum-chloride-phthalocyanine entrapped in liposomes for the prevention of metastasis to regional cervical lymph nodes in the Erhlich tongue cancer model. The PDT protocol led to complete remission of tongue tumours and prevented the occurrence of regional metastasis. The prevention of regional metastasis was confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. In addition, PDT treatment increased the overall survival and reduced weight loss relative to control tumour-bearing mice. Thus, PDT should be clinically evaluated for use in the prevention of cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with oral cancer.

We report on two brothers, aged four and six years-old, evidencing the Van Der Knaap syndrome. Clinical and radiological aspects are discussed as well their peculiarities. Data are compared with related literature, as etiopathogenic mechanisms possibly involved.

The case of woman with diagnosis on non-hemorrhagic pituitary macroadenoma producing reversible occlusion of the internal carotid artery is presented. The obstruction of the internal carotid artery by a pituitary tumor is rare, particularly in the absence of hypophyseal apoplexy. The neuroradiological correlation becomes fundamentally important to demonstrate the complete occlusion or thrombosis of the affected vessel. The complete reestablishment of blood flow of the internal carotid artery after surgery becomes imperative for the complete symptomatological regression.

Fifty patients with prolapse of the mitral valve and clinical diagnosis of migraine are analyzed, all being given a cardio-circulatory examination for an adequate clinical correlation between both illnesses. In this study we show a comparison of the patient's age, the duration and frequency of cephalic attacks, and their relationship to prolapse of the mitral valve, commenting on the therapeutic benefits for these patients. An analysis of the data which are presented suggests a common frequency of migraine among those patients who have mitral valve degeneration.

The authors present a case of acute subdural haematoma evacuated in the presence of a coagulopathy. Some elements necessary for the understanding of the etiopathogenesis of the disease are discussed.

It is reported the case of a 57 years-old man from Maranhão State who presented Parkinson's syndrome. Images proper to calcified cysticerci were found in the basal ganglia at the CT-scan examination. Considerations are made as to: the low frequency of cysticercosis in the northern region of the country where the patient lives; the association of symptomatic Parkinson's syndrome and cysticercosis of the central nervous system, which is rare; the demonstration of calcified cysticerci in basal ganglia in this situation, which was not registered up to the present time.

The purpose of this report is to analyze the case of a newborn with hydrocephalus who, after a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, began to develop close to normal from a neurological viewpoint, as well as showing computerized tomografical visualization of the cerebral mantle, not observed in earlier tests.