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Aeronautical engineering

The Atobá takes flight

Rio-based firm successfully develops large-sized unmanned aircraft for defense and security missions

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Crop science

Soil genetics

New mineral mapping technique can help farmers save on farm inputs and minimize environmental impacts

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Astrophysics

Persistent connection

International team captures unexpected simultaneous creation of star and planet in system continuously sustained by cloud of gas

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Oncology

Better chances with time

The risk of rectal cancer recurrence is less than 5% for patients who have been tumor-free for three years after nonsurgical treatment with radiation therapy and chemotherapy

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Interview

Gustavo Turecki: Detective of the mind

Born in Argentina and educated in Brazil, a dedicated psychiatrist investigates the causes of suicide

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Botany

Tropical trees die sooner

Tropical species have average lifespans of 186 years, while temperate species live for an average 322 years, a study on 438 tree species shows

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Archaeology

The interconnected peoples of ancient Amazon

Road networks connected villages as far as 10 km apart and interwove their cultures in pre-Columbian periods

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Paleontology

Pterosaur precursors

A new study suggests that a group of small extinct ground-dwelling vertebrates, called lagerpetids, were the closest relatives of these mysterious winged reptiles

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Scientific publications

The Plan S labyrinth

In effect since January 1, the open-access initiative reduces ambitions and faces uncertainty about its reach

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Bibliometrics

Science with impact

The number of Brazilians among the most cited researchers increased in 2020

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Interview

Silvio Meira: A hopeful realist

Creator of one of the most important ecosystems of innovation in the country, the computer scientist discusses the emergence of the digital era in Brazil

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Cover

An expanding market

In Latin America, remunerated caregiving work accounts for 16% of jobs, with 47 million people working in the area

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COVER

The economics of caregiving

Increase in population life expectancy and new family arrangements produce higher demand for caregivers and complicate government decision-making

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COVID-19

The mutation risk

New strains of SARS-Cov-2, such as the one identified in the United Kingdom in December, could make the pathogen more transmissible and virulent

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COVID-19

The era of genetic vaccines

The vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna result from historical investments in messenger RNA technology leading to the creation of new products

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COVID-19

Distribution challenges

Governments need to work with pharmaceutical and logistics companies to overcome obstacles to start the SARS-CoV-2 immunization campaign

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COVID-19

Approval strategy

Amid uncertainty, São Paulo announces state vaccination plan

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COVID-19

First cases of reinfection confirmed in Brazil

On December 9, Brazil’s health authorities officially confirmed the country’s first proven reinfection by SARS-CoV-2

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COVID-19

Butantan develops serum for the novel coronavirus

The Butantan Institute has completed development of a serum to combat SARS-CoV-2

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COVID-19

Unequal access

Even before efficacy data for the vaccine candidates was released, it was clear that there will not be enough supply to immunize the entire global population before the end of next year

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COVID-19

Australia gives up on vaccine candidate

A vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland and biotechnology company CSL, both from Australia, is the first of more than 200 candidates to be discarded

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COVID-19

Vaccines and sharks

A compound extracted from the livers of sharks is used in five coronavirus vaccine candidates

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Zoology

Sound absorbing wings

Microscopic structures on the scaled wings of two moth species are able to absorb many of the ultrasound waves emitted by bats

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Notes

Ten people who made a difference in 2020

In December, the journal Nature published its traditional annual list of 10 science personalities who deserved recognition in 2020

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Medicine

Microneedles to treat cancer

A dressing made up of hundreds of microscopic needles that dissolve in the body promises to improve skin cancer treatment with photodynamic therapy

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Astronomy

Space 1.6 million years from now

Using new data astronomers have predicted the movement of the 300,000 stars within 326 light-years of the Sun over the next 1.6 million years

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Anthropogenic mass

The weight of human production

Asphalt and concrete make up most of the mass produced by humans

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Hayabusa2

Successful return

The Japanese space mission has successfully collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu and brought them safely back to Earth

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Paleontology

The oldest and largest blind snake

Paleontologists from the University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto campus, have identified the world’s largest and oldest blind snake

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Biochemistry

Anti-predator chemical shield

Seemingly harmless at first glance, the African maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi) carries a lethal weapon in its coat

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