A study conducted at the University of São Paulo suggests that tissues specializing in saliva production and secretion serve as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2, magnifying its infectious potential.

Microscopic scales covering a shark's body--dermal denticles--from fossil and modern reefs show how shark communities have changed since humans arrived on the scene.

Tests performed by Brazilian researchers after the first 16 weeks of COVID-19-induced confinement showed loss of muscle strength and diminished aerobic capacity, as well as an increase in cholesterol and glycated hemoglobin, both of which are risk factors for metabolic disorders.

Simulations run by Brazilian scientists on a supercomputer at the National Space Research Institute (INPE) show that the direct impact of rising levels of carbon dioxide over the Amazon rainforest would be a reduction in rainfall equivalent to or even greater than the impact of complete substitution of the forest by pasture. The result calls attention to the need for regional and global action to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

Smithsonian marine biologists and colleagues at Temple University tested predictions about biological invasions, first in Panama and then in an experiment of unprecedented geographic scale. Their results are published in companion papers in the journal Ecology.

The central idea of the study was an analogy between concepts in magnetism and epidemiology in which electron interaction is compared with interaction among people.

The Alliance-managed website MusaNet collects and shares global resources on banana (Musa) across the whole value chain -- from collecting germplasm to post-harvest qualities.

Adult corals that survive high-intensity environmental stresses, such as bleaching events, can produce offspring that are better suited to survive in new environments. Results from a series of experiments are deepening scientists' understanding of how the gradual increase of sea surface temperatures and other environmental disturbances may influence future coral generations. This study's experimental design provides a unique perspective on how multiple types of thermal events accumulate over time and have lasting consequences across generations.

The phenomenon is linked to gradual contraction of the tropical rain belt over the last 5,000 years, according to a study conducted at the University of São Paulo. Its findings can help predict the region's future climate.