News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Oct-2026 07:17 ET (22-Oct-2026 11:17 GMT/UTC)

2-Jul-2024

 

Study reveals new factor associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 in people with obesity

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Reports and Proceedings

By analyzing samples from obese non-diabetics, researchers from the State University of Campinas found that high blood levels of saturated fatty acids cause pre-activation of innate immune cells that, when infected with SARS-CoV-2, produce elevated levels of inflammatory molecules. Results were presented during FAPESP Week China.

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

2-Jul-2024

 

Novel method enhances size-controlled production of luminescent quantum dots

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a study conducted at the University of São Paulo and described in Scientific Reports, the diameter of semiconductor quantum dots was monitored in real time via the wavelength of the emitted light.

Journal

Scientific Reports

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

1-Jul-2024

Blood test can help predict risk of obstructive sleep apnea

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a study conducted by Brazilian researchers, blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine correlated with the development of a disease that affects a third of the inhabitants of São Paulo city. Abnormally high levels of homocysteine are also associated with a heightened risk of coronary disease, thrombosis, heart attack and stroke.

Journal

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

28-Jun-2024

 

Opening of FAPESP Week China brings together academic, political and diplomatic leaders in Dongguan

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Meeting Announcement

Participants emphasized their desire to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation between Brazil and China and celebrated the friendly relations between the two countries.

27-Jun-2024

Novel method optimizes extraction of antioxidant and colorant from jabuticaba peel

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study focused on simultaneous extraction and purification of anthocyanin derived from jabuticaba peel, a lignocellulosic residue. The process, developed by Brazilian and Spanish scientists, obtains anthocyanin from fruit processing waste with a higher yield than the usual method.

Journal

Journal of Food Composition and Analysis

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

27-Jun-2024

Novel photodynamic therapy method can eradicate ocular melanoma, study shows

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study is the first to show that femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation is effective and safe in mice with induced ocular melanoma, paving the way for minimally invasive targeted treatment of the disease in future.

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

26-Jun-2024

 

Early warning systems and plans to avert disasters due to extreme rainfall are still flawed, study shows

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers analyzed landslides caused by storms in São Sebastião (Brazil) in 2023, when at least 65 people died, and suggest involvement of the local community in contingency programs.

Journal

Natural Hazards

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

24-Jun-2024

 

Scientists identify molecules associated with recurrence in blood samples from malaria patients

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As described in Scientific Reports, the study involved analysis of blood samples from volunteers infected by Plasmodium vivax, which produces forms that lie dormant in the host and can be reactivated months after treatment. The findings will help detect and diagnose these forms, with significant potential to enhance control and treatment of the disease in future.

Journal

Scientific Reports

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

20-Jun-2024

 

Model combines physical parameters and machine learning to predict storm tides

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the system used the port city of Santos as a sample space, and could enhance the efficiency of civil defense activities in the context of extreme weather events.

Journal

Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence

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Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

18-Jun-2024

 

For sustainable livestock farming bordering the Amazon Rainforest, look to the women

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Women near Colombia’s Amazon Rainforest highly value trees on their small livestock farms. Better integration of what motivates farmers to conserve the environment could improve the odds for successful landscape restoration projects in post-conflict areas, new research shows.

Journal

Scientific Reports