A comprehensive review by researchers in Brazil and elsewhere provides a wealth of information about the effects on the organism of remaining seated for much of the day, and calls for more research to analyze the effectiveness of interventions to reduce or interrupt sedentary behavior.
Acetone, a key input for the chemical industry, is usually produced by an elaborate and hazardous process. A more sustainable strategy has been developed by a scientific collaboration between researchers in Brazil and Germany.
Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo conducted experiments involving rats to analyze the effects of a high-fat high-sugar parental diet. The results suggested that ingestion of hypercaloric food by male progenitors favors weight gain and a build-up of body fat in their offspring.
The researchers correlated data on the animal’s ecological niche and connectivity among populations with existing and planned hydropower development sites in Brazil’s South region. They estimated that 30% of its habitat could be lost, heightening the risk of extinction.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo highlight the importance of monitoring these areas and advocate the use of technosols based on tailings and other waste to offset part of their emissions.
The fourth-generation particle accelerator installed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) was the topic for the 4th FAPESP Lecture 2023. LNLS Director Harry Westfahl Junior described the facility and the research opportunities it offers. He also announced the third call for proposals.
Technology developed with FAPESP’s support was the winner in the “Technological Innovation” category. Also, a University of São Paulo study that found a molecule capable of killing leukemic cells was awarded in “Oncology Research” category.
A study conducted at the University of São Paulo helps explain why older people are more susceptible to the severe form of the disease and why it involves blood clotting disorders.
Researchers sampled oysters and mussels at three locations between the port of Santos and the nearby city of Guarujá. Their aims included assembling data as a basis for public policy on basic sanitation. The law does not currently require removal of microplastic particles from sewage.
Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo analyzed saliva, oral microbiota and dental health of volunteers who were preparing for gastroplasty and after the operation. The results showed an increase in caries and periodontitis, as well as alterations in salivary inflammatory markers.
Applications of specialty glass range from astronomy to medicine, as well as data and power transmission. The study combined spectroscopy and computational modeling to show how the structure of the material is affected by addition of niobium oxide.
A study by researchers at the State University of Campinas and Harvard University shows that despite the presence of invasive strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, all of them belong to the ethanol fermentation environment, keeping the industrial process stable. Their findings can help cut costs and assure better results for producers.
With FAPESP’s support, the startup developed a smart biodressing produced by 3D printing and designed to accelerate skin wound healing. It will compete for a Global eAward in October.
Available free of charge on the internet, the platform simulates fire propagation in the savanna biome three times a day and is in use in nine conservation units.
Heitor Cantarella was a member of BIOEN-FAPESP’s steering committee for 14 years. As a researcher at the São Paulo State Institute of Agronomy in Campinas, he has made groundbreaking contributions to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
In experiments with mice, researchers at the State University of Campinas observed alterations in feed consumption, weight gain, anxious behavior and an increase in central nervous system, adipose tissue and liver inflammation.
A review of research on minimally processed vegetables highlights cases of unsatisfactory microbiological safety and calls for best practice assurance throughout the supply chain.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo investigated the effects of five concentrations of glitter on two strains of cyanobacteria. Use of the material in makeup, party costumes and decorations should be reconsidered, they argue.
In a study involving 46 volunteers, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo found that telomere shortening, a biomarker of cellular aging, accelerated in untreated obstructive sleep apnea patients, whereas continuous positive airway pressure attenuated the damage.
Based on artificial intelligence techniques such as neural networks and machine learning, the system takes seconds to perform tasks that used to take months. It will extract useful information from the gigantic amount of data furnished by the new Vera C. Rubin telescope.
Experiments with rats at the Federal University of São Paulo suggest that the technique promotes reprogramming of the neurons affected by the disease, making them return to a normal state and interrupting seizures. Increased production of adenosine appears to play a key role in the process.
A model developed by a cross-border collaboration including Brazilian researchers could help decision-makers assess the real impact of green roofs on the urban food-water-energy nexus.
The project is the result of a partnership between FAPESP and Shell and could help make hydrogen a widely used fuel in Brazil. Hydrogen from a pilot plant to be built at USP using Raízen’s ethanol will power buses on the campus.
A collaborative study by Brazilian and British researchers shows for the first time that obesity can cause a lack of vitamin D and not the other way around. The risk of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in subjects with abdominal obesity was 36% and 64% higher respectively than in those without.
A biocatalyst discovered by Brazilian researchers has the potential to increase renewable biofuel output by removing obstacles in technology and production processes, as well as enhancing the manufacturing of bioplastics and biopolymers.
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to train a machine learning algorithm to help diagnose autism. The study involved physicists, statisticians, physicians and neuroscientists from centers in Brazil, France and Germany.
Primates in a Brazilian national park spend 41% of their time on the ground. Territoriality influences stone tool use, the behavior of females while on heat, and care of disabled individuals.
A project conducted by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) cross-referenced data from sensors to analyze soil and weather variations in the same vineyard so as to produce different wines and improve water and fertilizer management. Wineries in São Paulo state are already benefiting from the results.
A study published in Nature and led by scientists at Brazil’s National Space Research Institute (INPE) and Bristol University in the UK describes a novel methodology for calculating the carbon absorption capacity of recovering areas in the Amazon, Congo and Borneo, which contain the world’s largest tropical rainforests. Together these areas remove at least 107 million metric tons from the atmosphere every year.