Veículo

• Home
• Veículos
• Bitebi.com

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects some 8 million people worldwide. More than a third develop severe heart or digestive problems with a heightened risk of death. The process that leads to this clinical condition is not completely understood. Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects some 8 million people worldwide. More than a third develop severe heart or digestive problems with a heightened risk of death. The [...]

Nature in Madagascar, an island off southeast Africa slightly larger than metropolitan France, is so unusual that 82% of its plant species and 90% of its vertebrates are endemic, only occurring there. Living amidst this unique biodiversity is a population so deprived that the country’s human development index (HDI) is one of the world’s lowest, posing the challenge of harmonizing conservation with economic and social development. A portrait of Madagascar’s biological riches [...]

A technique developed by Brazilian researchers enhances the efficiency of breeding programs, saving selection time and the cost of plant genotyping and characterization A Brazilian study published in Scientific Reports shows that artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to create efficient models for genomic selection of sugarcane and forage grass varieties and predict their performance in the field on the basis of their DNA. In terms of accuracy compared with traditional breeding [...]

The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), a system of ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics into the North Atlantic and transport cold water from the northern to the southern hemisphere, is a fundamental mechanism for the regulation of Earth’s climate. The conveyor belt has collapsed in the past owing to natural factors. The most recent collapse played a key role in the last deglaciation. AMOC is now threatened by global warming, scientists have shown, and a [...]

According to a study reported in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, the factors that most influence and increase the risk of tree failure in São Paulo (the capital of São Paulo state in Brazil) are the height of nearby buildings and the age of the neighborhood. Sidewalk width and tree height are the next most significant variables. According to a study reported in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, the factors that most influence and increase the [...]

Typha domingensis, the Southern cattail, a reedy marsh plant that inhabits fresh to slightly brackish waters and is about 2.5 m tall, can scavenge up to 34 times more manganese from contaminated soil than other plants found in similar environments. In a recent study, it accumulated between 10 and 13 times more manganese than other naturally occurring wetland plants such as hibiscus, sedges and rushes, demonstrating its potential for use in sustainable rehabilitation of areas affected by iron [...]

The countless benefits of native forests include the capacity of tree biomass to store large amounts of carbon, which can counterbalance greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. A paper published in the journal Science Advances reports on an innovative analysis of a large dataset designed to clarify the concept of carbon sequestration, a strategic issue in the discussion of global climate change. “We still know little about the factors that can lead forests to store more or less [...]

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) have conducted the most comprehensive genetic analysis ever of the American bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana) in Brazil, concluding that there are two populations of the species here, living on frog farms or invading local ecosystems. Bullfrogs are considered the world’s main invasive amphibian. An article on the study, which was supported by FAPESP, is published in Scientific [...]

A study by researchers in Brazil, Australia, Austria and the United States has made significant discoveries about a type of pediatric cancer with no approved drugs for treatment and a low survival rate. The findings, described in an article published in the journal Neuro-Oncology, pave the way for the search for more specific therapies. “Ependymomas are central nervous system tumors of various types that can basically only be treated by surgical removal and radiotherapy. Our study [...]