A study has found that more than half of Brazil’s rivers could suffer a reduction in flow due to the transfer of water to aquifers. Irrigation pumping is one of the main factors. More than 88% of wells operate under illegal conditions.
A study involving 173 pregnant women reached this conclusion. The findings expand scientific knowledge of the preeclampsia and the mechanisms whereby damage to the kidneys, lungs, liver and brain may occur.
Biology of Bacteria and Bacteriophages Research Center
Researchers at a FAPESP-supported research center have identified the key role of the GenB2 enzyme in the formation of gentamicin components. The findings make it possible to develop safer and more selective versions of the drug.
Brazilian Research Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology
By creating a new metric, researchers envision the possibility of diagnostic and treatment advances for the disease, which is estimated to affect about 4 million people worldwide.
Climate change on the prehistoric Iberian Peninsula caused the loss of midsized prey and reduced the supply of food for carnivores, making them more likely to disappear. A study based on fossil records warns of the cascading effect of extinctions in the present.
Less studied than grasses and trees, these plant species are of enormous importance to the Brazilian savannah biome in terms of biodiversity, carbon storage, regeneration after disturbance, and the provision of ecosystem services such as food and medicine.
A technology that uses unmanned aerial vehicles developed by a FAPESP-supported startup has enabled Brazil’s leading cosmetics company to complete in six months a census of six species of key importance to its production process distributed across 40,000 hectares of forest in the Amazon.
The method converts the vinasse left over from ethanol production into a potassium- and nitrogen-rich fertilizer. The groundbreaking study was conducted at the Federal University of São Carlos and published in the Journal of Environmental Management.
The phase 3 clinical trial showed that Butantan-DV is effective against dengue virus types 1 and 2, which were circulating at the time. The results can be extrapolated for types 3 and 4 based on additional in vitro testing, according to the researchers.
In a review article, researchers highlight the importance of metrology institutions in setting standards to characterize biopolymers and avoid greenwashing – a marketing practice that deceptively promotes products as being environmentally friendly.
Brazilian Research Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology
Using a single-cell sequencing technique, it was possible to characterize the different cell types present in the brain lesion. The result paves the way for specific treatments against focal cortical dysplasia.
Brazilian and British researchers have observed that a small crustacean that changes color according to the marine vegetation is able to disguise itself in exotic algae that did not evolve together with the species. However, the long-term effects of this interaction are unknown.
Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center
Scientists at the University of São Paulo analyzed blood samples donated by six serodiscordant couples where female partners were resistant to SARS-CoV-2 despite intense contact with their infected male partners. Overexpression of the gene IFIT3 in these asymptomatic women suggests it affords protection and could be a target for novel antiviral therapies.
Using a technique from the oil industry, researchers show that chemical bonds with calcium and magnesium increase the soil’s capacity to store carbon, reducing emissions and increasing fertility; the process contributes to sustainable management.
