Bromeliads promote plant diversity in the forest by enriching the soil with nutrients

Water accumulated in the tanks of these plants living high up in trees has much higher concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and iron than rainwater. Plants irrigated with this nutrient-rich water produced almost twice as many leaves.

Latin American research indicates a lower prevalence of a type of head and neck cancer

After analyzing over 1,400 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, the study found that more aggressive histopathological variants occur at a rate of 4.6%. Previous estimates pointed to a rate of up to 15%.

The COVID-19 virus manipulates host cell RNA to shut down the immune system

A study by the Federal University of São Paulo describes how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with the RNA of infected lung cells in an unprecedented way. The results may guide the search for new treatments and vaccines.

Abdominal obesity and muscle loss increase the risk of death by 83% after age 50

A study of more than 5,000 people over 12 years showed that simple measures to assess the two conditions can facilitate the diagnosis of sarcopenic obesity without complex tests, such as MRI and CT scans. This finding expands access to treatment for older adults.