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A Brazilian fossil snake combines skull, inner-ear and forebrain features that support an underground lifestyle. Comparisons with another Cretaceous snake reveal substantial early diversity in anatomy and habitat use. Tametara’s burrowing adaptations do not establish whether the first snakes evolved underground, on land or at sea. A small snake preserved in Brazilian sandstone carried a skull unusually well suited to life underground. Its dense, overlapping bones and distinctive [...]

When it comes to balancing hormonal changes during the transition to menopause, less can be more. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil demonstrated this when testing an alternative to conventional therapy. Rather than replacing estrogen, the team activated only one type of estrogen receptor in cells. This approach had broad metabolic benefits without stimulating the growth of reproductive tissues, such as the uterus and breasts. That is important for individuals with a [...]

For centuries, the study of ancient history relied primarily on interpreting classical texts and examining inscriptions and archaeological remains at their sites of origin or in museums. In recent years, however, a little-known transformation has profoundly changed this landscape. The digitization of extensive archaeological collections, coupled with the development of quantitative methods that can integrate millions of scattered records, is ushering in a new era of historical research. Like [...]

A combination of omega-3 and low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) produced results comparable to antibiotics in treating severe periodontitis. This conclusion is based on a study conducted by researchers affiliated with Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, Guarulhos University (UNG), the University of Taubaté (UNITAU), and the Ribeirão Preto School of Dentistry at USP (FORP-USP) in Brazil, as well as Harvard University in the United States. The findings were published in the Journal of [...]

Two conditions that affect millions of older adults—carrying extra weight around the belly and having low vitamin D scores—sharply raise the risk of dying when they occur together, a new study of more than 5,500 people over 50 has found. People over 50 who had both abdominal obesity and vitamin D deficiency were 123 percent more likely to die during the study period than those with neither condition, the research, now published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism , found. Each [...]

A moth caterpillar identified by the agribusiness sector as one of the most destructive pests of soybean, cotton and corn crops may harbor fungi and bacteria in its gut that can degrade expanded polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam. In an article published in the journal BMC Microbiology, researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil presented the results of a study investigating the gut microbiota of Helicoverpa armigera [...]

A common food additive found in products like ice cream, yogurt and gluten-free pasta may have unexpected effects on gut health, according to new research. The study, published in PLOS One, examined the effects of xanthan gum, one of the food industry’s most widely used thickeners, stabilizers and gelling agents. Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil found that chronic consumption of xanthan gum triggered inflammation and disrupted the [...]

After the storm comes the calm. But contrary to the famous proverb, the brain's neurons enter a period of calm before the neuronal storm that is an epileptic seizure. An international team of researchers has now demonstrated that this silencing of neurons can serve as a marker capable of predicting and preventing seizures even before they occur. The research is published in the journal Scientific Reports.   "That silencing of neurons had already been observed in other studies, but [...]

Neuromorphic computing is a computational paradigm that mimics the way the brain functions in terms of both architecture and dynamics. It creates electronic circuits that store and process information in an integrated manner, similar to networks of neurons and synapses. With this goal in mind, an international network of researchers developed an electronic device, including Victor López-Richard, a full professor at the Center for Exact Sciences and Technology at the Federal University of [...]