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The Caatinga is the only biome found exclusively in Brazil and is home to the largest contiguous area of seasonally dry tropical forest in the world. However, anthropogenic activities such as cattle ranching, agriculture, and firewood exploitation have caused large-scale environmental degradation processes that, together with climate change, could even lead to desertification. A study of cattle ranches in the semi-arid region of the state of Pernambuco found that simply stopping grazing did [...]

(CNN) — Heavy drinking is associated with increased risk of a type of brain injury linked with memory and thinking problems. That's according to a new study in which researchers defined heavy drinking as eight or more alcoholic drinks per week. This study, which was published in the journal Neurology, comes when clinicians and public health advocates are raising awareness of alcohol use disorder and issues related to excessive alcohol consumption. To help people think about [...]

In a nutshell Human language capacity existed at least 135,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought, according to genomic evidence from population divergence studies. The 35,000-year gap between language capacity (135,000 years ago) and widespread symbolic behaviors (100,000 years ago) suggests language gradually transformed how humans thought and interacted with their world. All modern human populations share language capabilities with similar structures, indicating that [...]

Glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer, is one of the greatest challenges for medicine, both because it is difficult to treat and because of its high mortality rate. In Brazil, although no exact figures are available, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. The disease, which accounts for nearly half (49%) of all brain tumors, has an extremely low survival rate, with most patients living only about 12 months after [...]

A collaboration between researchers in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Ceará and colleagues affiliated with Hong Kong University (HKU) in China has resulted in the discovery of a novel coronavirus in bats, the first in South America closely related to the virus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). An article describing the discovery is published in the Journal of Medical Virology (JMV). "Right now we aren't sure it can infect humans, but we [...]

Brazilian researchers have developed a cell phone application that helps rehabilitate people who have suffered a stroke. Using a sensor (accelerometer) that detects the inclination of the handset attached to the person's clothing, the program can identify posture and advise the user on how to improve body alignment, either through voice commands, vibrations or images. The device works to rehabilitate a problem known as hemiparesis, which is one of the most challenging sequelae of strokes [...]

Some families of caterpillars (larvae of butterflies and moths) have developed a specific kind of interaction with ants. One of these families (Riodinidae) includes two species that interact solely with two species of ants. In a study published in the journal Insect Science, researchers in Brazil affiliated with the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL) show that this interaction is highly [...]

A diet rich in produce such as grapes, strawberries, açaí, oranges, chocolate, wine and coffee can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome by as much as 23%, according to the findings of a study involving more than 6,000 Brazilians, the largest in the world to associate the effects of consuming polyphenols with protection against cardiometabolic problems. The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of metabolic abnormalities and hormone [...]

More than half of Brazil's rivers are at risk of reduced flow due to water seeping into underground aquifers. This is the result of an analysis of 17,972 wells throughout the country. Of these, 55.4% had water levels below the surface of the nearest rivers. This difference in hydraulic level creates a gradient that favors the seepage of water from the river into the subsoil, which can turn rivers into water flow losers. The study, conducted by researchers from Brazil and abroad, was [...]