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News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-May-2025 06:09 ET (31-May-2025 10:09 GMT/UTC)

Green technology uses corn stover to produce high-value bioderivatives and generate savings

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

The optimized extraction of sugars, organic acids, and phenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties uses only water, making it promising for applications in the biofuels, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

Journal: Biofuel Research Journal
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Greenhouse gas could lead to the development of sustainable fuels

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

An international consortium of scientists presents an overview of the subject in an article published in the journal Science.The hydrogenation of carbon dioxide allows the greenhouse gas to be transformed into products such as methane and methanol.

Journal: Science
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

More than 70% of young women suffer from itching, irritation, pain, and other symptoms in the genital area

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

The finding was based on questionnaires applied to 313 Brazilian women in their 30s. The results indicate that, although the reported discomforts negatively affect the participants’ quality of life and sexual health, they tend to normalize them.

Journal: Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Women with low muscle mass have a worse prognosis in breast cancer treatment

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

The study conducted at the University of São Paulo evaluated data from 54 women who were newly diagnosed with early-stage disease. Accurately assessing a patient’s body composition is essential for monitoring metabolic changes related to breast cancer and identifying the need for earlier intervention, such as nutritional support and physical exercise.

Journal: Discover Oncology
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Honduran coffee shipment first to align with Europe’s upcoming deforestation rules using open-source traceability software

The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Honduran coffee farmers are rushing to comply with deforestation-free certification that the European Union will enact in mid-2026. Unfortunately, the vast majority lack the digital infrastructure to demonstrate that their coffee complies with deforestation rules. New, open-source traceability software – adapted for Honduran coffee farmers by a coalition of local, national and international organizations – allowed hundreds of farmers to export 20.7 tonnes of coffee, which experts say would comply with EUDR rules. The container with the coffee was sealed at a Honduran coffee company on May 27, 2025.

The generalization of statistical mechanics makes it possible to regularize the theory of critical phenomena

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

The study, coordinated by researcher Mariano de Souza from São Paulo State University, was conducted with the participation of Constantino Tsallis, the creator of non-extensive statistical mechanics. The results were published in the journal Physical Review B.

Journal: Physical Review B
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Germinated flours in breadmaking: Striking a balance between nutrition and quality

Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study explores the potential of germinated flours as functional ingredients in breadmaking, highlighting both their nutritional benefits and their technological challenges.

The growing demand for healthier foods has inspired the scientific community to reexamine traditional ingredients through a modern lens. One such example is germinated flours, which are emerging as a promising alternative for enhancing the nutritional profile of bread, one of the most widely consumed foods worldwide.

Journal: Food Reviews International

Fully protected marine areas in Brazil are contaminated by microplastics

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

Researchers from the Federal University of São Paulo used oysters and mussels as sentinel organisms to assess the presence of these pollutants. The results show that even the most restrictive sites for human presence have significant contamination.

Journal: Environmental Research
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Insulin resistance in the brain may be one of the factors linking Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy

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

In animal tests, researchers from the University of São Paulo observed that changes in insulin signaling in the brain affected both memory and the frequency and severity of seizures. The findings support clinical evidence and point the way to new therapeutic approaches.

Journal: Journal of Neural Transmission
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Simple process extends lifetime of perovskite solar cells

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

The material is as efficient as silicon in generating clean energy and has lower production costs, greater lightness and flexibility. Its rapid degradation is one of the main obstacles to overcome to make its use viable.

Journal: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Funder: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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