A study published in the journal Science shows for the first time the degree of threat to all tree species in the biome, classifying 65% as vulnerable or endangered to some extent. According to the authors, their findings are conservative – the actual situation could be even more alarming.

Even under the best-case scenario, mathematical models suggest 87% of mammals will be left without a habitat in the Caatinga within three and a half decades. The loss will be worst in the eastern portion of the biome, where its main cities are located.

This is the first description of the interaction between microRNAs and gibberellin, especially in as economically important a plant as the tomato. Research conducted at the University of São Paulo shows how interaction between plant hormone gibberellin and small RNA molecules enables development of ovaries, followed by fruit and seeds. A simultaneous rise in the activity of miR156 and gibberellin in the tomato’s floral meristem results in malformed ovaries and misshapen seedless fruit. This knowledge serves as a basis for ways to increase tomato yield.

The device is under preclinical trials; the sponge is made of soft, biodegradable material and releases medication slowly into the organism.The sponge is made of materials that are biocompatible with vaginal tract cells, and the gel produced by contact with fluid in the region dissolves, so that there is no need for removal after the treatment, in contrast with polyurethane devices.

A collaborative study led by Dr. Estefanía Nova-Lamperti of the Universidad de Concepción, Dr. Gonzalo Labarca of Harvard University, and Mauricio Hernández, of MELISA Institute, and which included the participation of researchers from leading academic institutions, sought to identify the sequelae associated with long-term pulmonary dysfunction (L-PDD) in patients with COVID-19. The study was published in Frontiers in Medicine.

Fragments of hemorrhagic toxins that may help treat high blood pressure were found in the venom of the pit viper Cotiara, which inhabits the South of Brazil, and that of the South American bushmaster, a denizen of tropical rainforests. The molecules might one day be used in drugs with fewer adverse side effects. The researchers were particularly interested in a novel metalloproteinase-derived peptide called Lm-10a, a fragment of a hemorrhagic toxin that inhibits ACE and could potentially be used in a drug to treat blood pressure.