6-May-2020 Antioxidant reverses damage to fertility caused by exposure to bisphenol A Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Peer-Reviewed Publication A study shows that administering coenzyme Q10 reverses damage done to germinative cells by BPA, a contaminant found in many kinds of plastic. Journal Genetics Funder São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab
6-May-2020 Scientists observes changes in Earth's surface movement months before big earthquakes Universidad de Concepción Peer-Reviewed Publication Months prior to the earthquakes in Chile 2010 and Japan 2011, oscillations of the earth's surface occurred, in extensions of about 1,000 kilometers in each country, after which the decoupling of the tectonic plates was generated, causing both major earthquakes. Journal Nature
4-May-2020 Brazilian and Indian scientists produce crystal with many potential applications Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Peer-Reviewed Publication Thanks to its magnetic properties, the material -- zinc-doped manganese chromite -- can be used in a range of products, from gas sensors to data storage devices. Journal Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Funder São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab
2-May-2020 Chilean scientists warn environmental costs of water roads Universidad de Concepción Peer-Reviewed Publication The interdisciplinary analysis presented this in Nature Sustaintability by researchers from four Chilean universities, recommends a global analysis in the design of these projects, reconciling the growing demand for water supply with the health of freshwater and marine ecosystems. Journal Nature Sustainability Funder Millennium Science Initiative from Chile's Ministry of Economy, Development, Tourism and Digital Agenda, through both the Millennium Nucleus MUSELS (NC120086) and the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (IMO; IC120019). Additional support from the Water Research Center
30-Apr-2020 Risky business: Courtship movements put katydids in danger Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Peer-Reviewed Publication Males signalling their attractiveness to females are at risk from predators that exploit mating signals to detect and locate prey. Signalling, however, is not the only risky activity in sexual interactions: mate searching can incur risk as well. Journal Biology Letters Funder Dartmouth College, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
29-Apr-2020 A diet of high-iron beans improves health of anemic women in Rwanda The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture Peer-Reviewed Publication A new study involving women of reproductive age in Rwanda, where 19% of that demographic is anemic, showed that a diet including high-iron beans can improve iron status and physical performance relatively quickly. Journal Journal of Nutrition Funder HarvestPlus/International Food Policy Research Institute and Cornell University
29-Apr-2020 Long-term consequences of coastal development as bad as an oil spill on coral reefs Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Peer-Reviewed Publication Oil pollution is known to cause lethal and sublethal responses on coral communities in the short-term, but its long-term effects have not been widely studied. The Bahia Las Minas oil spill, which contaminated about 40 square kilometers (about 15 square miles) near the Smithsonian's Galeta Point Marine Laboratory in Colon and became the largest recorded near coastal habitats in Panama, served as an opportunity to understand how coral reefs in tropical ecosystems recover from acute contamination over time. Journal Marine Biodiversity Funder the U.S. Mineral Management Service, the Smithsonian Institution Environmental Science Program, Panama's Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
28-Apr-2020 White-faced capuchin monkeys come down from the trees on Panama's Coiba Island Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Peer-Reviewed Publication An arboreal lifestyle is thought to be central to primate origins, and most extant primate species still live in the trees. Nonetheless, terrestrial locomotion is a widespread adaptation that has arisen repeatedly within the primate lineage. The absence of terrestriality among the New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) is thus notable and raises questions about the ecological pressures that constrain the expansion of platyrrhines into terrestrial niches. Journal Journal of Human Evolution
28-Apr-2020 Startups develop system that detects fever remotely in people near hospital front desks Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Business Announcement AI-based technology developed by a startup supported by FAPESP is in use at Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital, in São Paulo, to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. Funder São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab
24-Apr-2020 Highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes could replace solvents used in batteries Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Peer-Reviewed Publication The review article by researchers at the University of São Paulo shows the advantages of this technological alternative, which is nontoxic and much cheaper than other methods. Journal Current Opinion in Electrochemistry Funder São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Brazil). Geochronologic research at the MIT Isotope Lab