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Three scholars from different countries show how medieval evangelization succeeded by winning individuals’ hearts and minds, and refute the classical idea that contact between clergy and laity was mainly coercive.

An article by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo describes how the functioning of RNA changes in cells infected by the COVID-19 virus. The findings provide clues as to how different variants can escape the immune system, and serve as a basis for the development of novel treatments.

Researchers at the State University of Campinas conducted experiments on rats and human kidney cells. Their findings, published in Scientific Reports, show that irisin, a hormone secreted in muscle tissue during exercise, avoids the cellular degeneration that leads to diabetic nephropathy and kidney failure.

In partnership with private enterprise and government, scientists in São Paulo state (Brazil) plan to strengthen domestic production and consumption of aquatic products.

An investigation conducted in Brazil analyzed all the microorganisms present in the feces of Nelore bulls and found biomarkers that can identify animals with a low-emission, feed-efficient phenotype.

Sharks that frequent diving tourism sites where food is provided have higher levels of testosterone and corticosteroids than others that spend less time in these areas, as well as a better nutritional state. The effects of shark-human interaction are poorly understood.

Researchers at São Paulo State University described in detail the positive effects of levodopa on posture and balance, in a study aimed at optimizing treatment. The findings are reported in Brain Research.

Conclusion came from a Brazilian study that analyzed active fire occurrences between 2003 and 2020 in the nine countries with Amazon Rainforest areas. Brazil accounted on average for 73% of the fires detected in the period.

Brazilian researchers interviewed 1,905 children twice in seven years and analyzed 22 risk factors that can influence human development. An article on the study is published in Scientific Reports.

The 15th FAPESP 60 Years Conference, entitled “Research on racism and its challenges in contemporary society”, featured Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, a professor at Duke University, and Márcia Lima, a professor at the University of São Paulo.

Bioinformatics, engineering and other disciplines driven by advances in computing were discussed by participants in an online seminar hosted by the São Paulo State Academy of Sciences to present the fifth chapter of FAPESP 60 Anos: A Ciência no Desenvolvimento Nacional.

Supported by FAPESP, the project also aims to encourage conservation of Brazilian wildlife and valorize the culture and craftsmanship of local communities.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo created an alternative technique that could contribute to the development of quantum computing.

Using models based on a reserve created by the government for geological research and protection of mineral assets, Brazilian researchers estimated that opening the area up to mining would lead to the destruction of 183 km² of forest and further loss of 7,626 km² due to the direct and indirect impacts of the infrastructure required to implement and operate projects.

A type of treatment known as immune checkpoint blockade proved beneficial in cells from COVID-19 patients in intensive care and in mice infected by a betacoronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2. The study is published in Science Advances.

Experts who took part in a seminar held by FAPESP highlighted the importance of Indigenous filmmaking to a wider societal awareness of the conflicts occurring on Indigenous reserves and in conservation units in the Amazon.

Through experiments involving mice, Brazilian researchers discovered that a molecule released by the brain during exercise breaks down fatty acids in skeletal muscle tissue and continues to do so after the exercise has ceased.

Genomic analyses performed by researchers in Brazil and Germany suggest that different groups of reptiles submitted to similar environmental conditions developed convergent adaptations independently.

At a meeting held in São Paulo city, researchers from the Brazilian state of São Paulo and the Netherlands described their work on the development of prosthetics and other implantable biomaterials. FAPESP will invest BRL 15.2 million to fund the projects selected in the call.

The event will be an opportunity to recall past achievements, discuss the current status of genomics, and forecast future developments in pathogen, cancer and agri-environmental genomics.

The process is associated with warming of the ocean subsurface resulting in a reduction of surface salinity due to the release of huge iceberg armadas from glaciers.

Scientists at the Federal University of São Carlos adapted material derived from sugarcane bagasse and papermaking to replace the synthetic polymers available on the market and used by growers. The main aim was to avoid the discharge of non-biodegradable chemicals into the soil.

A technique developed by Brazilian researchers enhances the efficiency of breeding programs, saving selection time and the cost of plant genotyping and characterization.

Measuring handgrip strength is one of the main ways of detecting sarcopenia, a syndrome characterized by loss of muscle mass, force and function. Researchers in Brazil and the UK recommended raising the minimum value considered normal, after analyzing data for more than 6,000 men and women aged 60 and over.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo tested the anthelmintic niclosamide on mice and human blood cells. In addition to exhibiting antiviral action, the drug deactivated the cellular mechanism that triggers a cytokine storm. A novel formulation is required for the active principle to reach the lungs and treat severe COVID-19 in humans.

In an online seminar hosted by FAPESP, researchers discussed how social subjects who live in the Amazon are portrayed by documentaries about the impact of extractivism and large dams.

Focusing on astronomy and astrophysics, the 14th FAPESP 60 Years Conference featured three leading scientists in the field, including Nobel Laureate Brian Schmidt.

Analysis of skin tumor samples showed correlations between changes in proteins that regulate the organism and prognosis. The results, published in Nature Communications, were obtained by researchers in Brazil and France.

Scientists at the University of São Paulo investigated how this theoretical construction behaves in materials that exhibit defects and are subject to external magnetic fields. Their findings are reported in Physical Review Letters.

For the next five years, Euclides de Mesquita Neto will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the GRC, which connects more than 60 research funding agencies on all continents.

One of the aims of the investment is to accelerate the growth of the market for midsize to large autonomous drones.

An article in Disaster Prevention and Management describes the course of discussions involving Brazil and the UK on how to improve flood risk governance. The project has produced an application and learning guide resulting from community participation.

The event will be held next year at the State University of Campinas (São Paulo state, Brazil) and will celebrate the ninetieth birthday of mathematician Newton da Costa. Students and researchers have until October 30 to apply.

Brazilian researchers have developed a tool that encodes patient identification data as DNA sequences and integrates databases with millions of records despite misspellings and omissions. The platform is fast and accurate and can be used for epidemiological analysis and public policy formulation.

Brazilian researchers and collaborators found that Beauveria caledonica can be used for biological control of banana borers and Fusarium wilt, which are serious threats to a tropical and subtropical crop of the highest economic importance. The soil fungus supplements traditional banana plantation management strategies.

The results of animal trials were published recently in Nature Communications. The researchers have received the green light from the national health surveillance authority to proceed with testing on humans.

FAPESP has long supported the company that developed the system, which identifies people from small fragments of finger and palm prints. It passed a key certification test set by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology.

According to the article, Brazil has had more success than any other country with the use of biofertilizer to provide nitrogen for soybeans. The inoculation of microorganisms into the soil boosts yields, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves some USD 10 billion per year in imports of synthetic fertilizer.

However, scientific research is essential to take innovation to the countryside and raise yields without increasing deforestation, according to the experts who participated in an online seminar organized by FAPESP and the São Paulo State Academy of Sciences.

Research by groups at the University of São Paulo and the State University of Campinas combined MRI scans of the brains of mild COVID-19 patients, analysis of brain tissue from people who died of the disease and experiments on human nerve cells infected in the laboratory.

Research conducted in São Paulo, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, also found sidewalk width and tree height to be key factors. The results will be used in tree management and urban planning.

A study conducted at the State University of Campinas provides a foundation for future research to confirm identification of the best candidate genes for biotech applications such as insertion into commercially valuable plants and development of sugarcane varieties resistant to environmental pressures.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo analyzed air samples collected near the hospital complex run by its medical school and found that the more plastic they contained, the higher the viral load. The results of the study suggest SARS-CoV-2 binds to microplastic and more easily enters the upper airways and lungs.

Twenty-one patients with metabolic syndrome were given a calorie or protein restriction diet in a randomized clinical trial by Brazilian and Danish researchers. Weight loss, controlled blood pressure and improved blood sugar and lipid levels were observed in all participants.

Eduardo Góes Neves, an archeologist at the University of São Paulo, sets out this and other findings of 15 years of research in a book for non-specialists.

A study published in the journal Vaccines used samples from blood banks in seven Brazilian state capitals to measure levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and the extent to which vaccines afford protection against the delta variant.

Proteomic analysis suggests zika virus causes alterations in the expression of proteins linked to the metabolism of developing neural cells, and proteins associated with the maturation of oligodendrocytes.

A study by Brazilian researchers analyzed risk factors and found that reducing smoking prevented most deaths from cardiovascular disease, while high blood sugar had the most significant impact on mortality.

In a special issue of the journal Science, some of the leading experts on the subject argue that rehabilitating degraded areas requires more complex solutions that take the biome’s specificities into account.

Conservation of CO2 stocks in the biome is highly affected by forest degradation, which could lead to at least 30% higher emissions than those produced by climate change. The warning comes from a paper by Brazilian scientists published in Science Advances.