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Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a risk factor for skin cancer and other diseases. The risk increases when sunlight, the natural source of UV radiation, is combined with artificial sources such as UV lamps for medical therapy, among others. Detecting and measuring UV exposure in different environments was the scope of a research project conducted in Brazil at the São Paulo Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFSP) in collaboration with the University of [...]

The Atlantic Rainforest has been so savagely clearcut and burned over several centuries that only approximately 12% now remains. Nevertheless, it is still one of the planet's largest repositories of biodiversity, and counter to a process that appeared irreversible, forest cover in the biome has begun to grow back in recent decades. To confirm this trend and understand the dynamics of forest fragment degradation and regeneration, a study conducted at the National Space Research (INPE) in [...]

The hypothesis that blood clotting disorders may explain some of the worst symptoms of COVID-19, including respiratory failure and pulmonary fibrosis, was suggested in mid-April by researchers in Brazil affiliated with the University of São Paulo’s Medical School (FM-USP) via an article accepted for publication by the Journal of Thrombosis. In less than a month, the topic had been highlighted in articles posted to the websites of Science and Nature, both of which are among the [...]

Shortly after the explosion in microcephaly cases caused by Zika virus in Brazil in 2015-16, several scientific studies were published with evidence that the pathogen is capable of crossing the human placenta, the organ that keeps the fetus connected to the mother's body during pregnancy. From then on, the states began following a protocol established by the National Ministry of Health requiring collection of placental samples to help diagnose the disease in women with symptoms during [...]

Autism has long been associated only with behavioral and environmental factors, but the role of genetics in its development is now increasingly evident. Some 100 genes have been found to play a role in autism spectrum disorder, and another thousand are being studied to the same end. The diagnosis and treatment of the disorder on a genomic basis are hindered by this variability. However, a new study conducted at the University of São Paulo's Institute of Biosciences (IB-USP) in [...]

Immune system cells in the blood of breast cancer patients undergo alterations early in the disease course, according to a study published in the journal Clinical & Translational Immunology. The authors believe that this discovery may contribute to the early identification of aggressive tumors and help enhance personalized immunotherapy strategies in the future. The study was conducted while Rodrigo Nalio Ramos was doing a doctoral research internship at Claude Bernard University in Lyon, [...]

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics and resins, inner coatings for food cans and bottle tops, thermal paper used in store receipts, dental sealants and so on, is a concern because of possible adverse health effects, including a reduction in fertility. A study performed at Harvard Medical School (HMS) in the United States by Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro and her research group shows that the harmful effects of BPA can be reversed by administering [...]

Spinels are oxides with chemical formulas of the type AB2O4, where A is a divalent metal cation (positive ion), B is a trivalent metal cation, and O is oxygen. Spinels are valued for their beauty, which derives from the molecules’ spatial configurations, but spinels in which the trivalent cation B consists of the element chrome (Cr) have aroused strong interest for a reason that has nothing to do with aesthetics: they have magnetic properties with an abundance of potential technological [...]

Agência FAPESP – Highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes, known as water-in-salt electrolytes, could be an alternative to the organic solvents used in car batteries and other electrochemical devices. Abundance and, hence, low cost are key factors in this application, alongside nontoxicity, according to the review article “Water-in-salt electrolytes for high voltage aqueous electrochemical energy storage devices” published in the journal Current Opinion in [...]