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A system for identifying people and controlling access developed by a Brazilian startup lets guests check in remotely and open room doors using smartphones.

The hypothesis was raised by scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center, on the basis of an epidemiological survey involving 1,744 Brazilian couples where at least one partner was infected.

With the support of NGOs, universities and business, the inhabitants of small towns in the Amazon are practicing a self-sustaining circular economy in which waste is converted into inputs for production.

Analysis of data for more than 400,000 people shows that increasing the proportion of vigorous exercise reduces mortality by 17% compared with people who get only moderate exercise.

Many patients suffer from a significant decline in immunity lasting for years after they are discharged from hospital. In an article published in the journal Immunity, Brazilian researchers reveal why this happens.

Researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos in Brazil in partnership with University College London (UCL) in the UK analyzed data for 2,294 individuals aged 60 or more who were monitored for eight years. Results were published in the journal Age and Aging.

Scientists at a FAPESP-funded research center investigated the mechanism that produces the main enzyme involved in the virus’s replication in cells. The findings are reported in the Journal of Molecular Biology.

The researchers combined VOD, an indicator of the amount of water in vegetation, with remote sensing data from optical satellites. The innovative strategy described in Remote Sensing provides a more comprehensive understanding of the biomass changes caused by fire.

Analysis of data collected over 20 years suggests the decline is due to the construction of over 180 dams on the Paraná and its tributaries.

The Brazilian startup Crop Biotecnologia has developed a peptide that inhibits bad cholesterol receptors in the liver. The researchers who founded it took part in the 18th edition of the PIPE High Tech Entrepreneurial Training Program.

More than 1,000 Brazilian volunteers immunized with the CoronaVac vaccine were assessed by researchers at the University of São Paulo. Those who were active for at least 150 minutes per week without long sedentary periods produced more antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

In a review of the scientific literature, researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo concluded that infection by SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy can reduce the availability of ACE2, a protein that plays an important part in placental development, control of blood pressure, and the circulatory adaptations required for fetal development.

The study is published in PLOS ONE. Equations suggest viral population variability can be estimated on the basis of epidemiological data.

The result was obtained in a study of 20 volunteers by researchers at São Paulo State University. The treatment is painless and uses a weak current delivered by electrodes placed over specific brain regions.

Analysis of fishery data and interviews with artisanal fishers confirmed replacement of large species by others that are less valuable commercially, and 37 species were considered overfished.

A study led by Brazilian scientists revealed the biological process used by Xanthomonas to weaken the defenses of plants and discovered a novel class of enzyme that can be used to obtain advanced sugars from agroindustrial waste.

Correlating whole-genome sequencing with epidemiological data for the city of São José do Rio Preto in Brazil, researchers show that severe COVID-19 and deaths from the disease rose sharply when the variant became prevalent in the region. A two-week lockdown and vaccination of the elderly averted a collapse of the health system.

Based on data collected in the field, Brazilian researchers showed that small and medium trees suffer most in the first two years after a fire, but the overall impact on vegetation can last decades. Carbon stocks fall 12.8% in burned areas on average.

Analyses of material from collections in ten countries enabled researchers to describe the evolutionary history of insects known for their fungus-eating larvae. A monograph with over 100 pages on the subject occupies an entire volume of the American Museum of Natural History's prestigious Bulletin.

A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Cell-Based Therapy in São Paulo state, Brazil, identified a genetic signature that can be used to predict whether patients should be submitted to radiation therapy.

The results of a study conducted at a Brazilian university point the way to the development of more effective treatment for the cutaneous form of the disease.

The platform is used by several hospitals, has more than 2,500 users, and performs 800 care processes per month on average.

After proving that gold increases the efficiency of devices made of molybdenum disulfide, a solid lubricant and mooted ‘silicon substitute’, researchers at MackGraphe plan to test the technique on other materials.

A study published in Nature Medicine evaluated individuals before and after taking CoronaVac. Based on the results, researchers at the University of São Paulo’s Medical School are testing novel strategies such as suspending treatment one or two weeks before vaccination.

A study alerts to the conjunction between a climate change scenario and little inspection with the arrival of the dry season in the country, which favors large-scale fires – such as that which occurred in the Pantanal in 2020. To avoid further tragedies, researchers defend the implementation of a policy of integrated fire management.

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo and published in Science correlates birds and plants in seed dispersal networks.

An article in Trees - Structure and Function reports findings from an analysis of 7,000 tree falls in a three-year period. Stormy weather was the main cause during the rainy season.

In an article published in PNAS, researchers affiliated with Butantan Institute describe the genome of Bothrops jararaca and suggest the origin of genes responsible for toxins in its venom.

Outbreaks at two care homes in São Paulo state (Brazil) show that even people who have been vaccinated with one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine or two doses of CoronaVac can transmit the virus. The cases were asymptomatic or mild and did not require hospitalization, but underscore the importance of rapidly vaccinating the entire population while continuing to require face coverings and social distancing even for those who have been vaccinated.

Meta-analysis by researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo in partnership with universities in Spain and Chile supports the idea that muscle strengthening can not only reduce cancer incidence and morality but also yield even greater benefits when it is associated with aerobic activities.