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Seasonal variations with alternating dry and rainy seasons and fluctuating levels of nutrients are factors that significantly influence greenhouse gas emissions from soda lakes in the Pantanal, considered less common than emissions from freshwater lakes. The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland, with an area of 153,000 km , mostly (77.41%) in southwestern Brazil, but also partly in Bolivia (16.41%) and Paraguay (6.15%). A study by scientists at the University of São [...]

Bacteria that live in soil and help roots fix nitrogen can boost certain plants' capacity to reproduce, according to an article published in the American Journal of Botany describing a study of this mechanism in Chamaecrista latistipula, a legume belonging to the Fabaceae family, which includes beans and peas. Bacteria in the soil enhance the attractiveness of the plant's flowers to pollinators via a type of relationship known as mutualism that is widespread in plants and animals. [...]

The particles were likely breathed in over a lifetime, since tiny floating microplastics are ubiquitous in the air. Although microplastics have already been found in human lungs, intestines, liver, blood, testicles and even semen, it had long been thought that the body's protective blood-brain barrier might keep the particles out of the brain. However, the new study suggests that there's “a potential pathway for the translocation of microplastics to the brain” via the [...]

Low-calorie diets and intermittent fasting have been shown to have numerous health benefits: They can delay the onset of some age-related diseases and lengthen lifespan, not only in humans but many other organisms. Many complex mechanisms underlie this phenomenon. Previous work from MIT has shown that one way fasting exerts its beneficial effects is by boosting the regenerative abilities of intestinal stem cells, which helps the intestine recover from injuries or inflammation. In a study [...]

With a new understanding of past life on the planet through fossils, a Mississippi State biological sciences faculty member is helping researchers better predict Earth’s future. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Donald L. Hall Professor of Biology Matthew Brown unearths a specific area of under-studied fossils: microbial eukaryotes—more specifically, testate amoebae from 750 million years ago. His novel research on testates will continue [...]

Unlike classical encryption, which relies on mathematical algorithms, quantum encryption assures security based on physical principles. Detection of espionage or interference is guaranteed by unavoidable alteration of the quantum states involved. Comparisons between the two systems yield impressive results. Classical supercomputers would currently take thousands of years to break strong encryption, but it will be possible to decipher the same codes in seconds with sufficiently powerful [...]

Researchers have shown that a fluorescence detection system that doesn't contain any lenses can provide highly sensitive detection of deadly microorganisms in drinking water. With further development, the new approach could provide a low-cost and easy-to-use way to monitor water quality in resource-limited settings such as developing countries or areas affected by disasters. It could also be useful when water safety results are needed quickly, such as for swimming events , a concern [...]

In Brazil, climate and other human-made environmental changes threaten decades-long efforts to fight a widespread and debilitating parasitic disease. Now, a partnership between researchers from Stanford and Brazil is helping to proactively predict these impacts. Schistosomiasis, spread by freshwater snails, affects more than 200 million people in many tropical regions of the world. It can cause stomach pain and irreversible consequences such as enlarged liver and cancer. Public health [...]

Predicting extreme events is essential to the preparation and protection of vulnerable regions, especially at a time of climate change. The city of Santos on the coast of São Paulo state (Brazil) is Latin America's largest port and has been the focus for significant case studies, not least because of the storm surges that threaten its infrastructure and the local ecosystems. An article reporting the results of a study that focused on a critical part of Santos and used advanced [...]