Science

Public health

The challenge of diagnosing Zika

There is no scientific consensus that any of the 48 approved laboratory tests can differentiate between Zika and the dengue virus

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Genetics

Jacobina controversy

Authors divided over article on the spread of DNA from transgenic Aedes aegypti mosquitoes used in an experiment in Bahia

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Ecology

Plants that grow on iron

Research finds 38 plant species that exist only in the so-called Amazonian cangas, a type of rupestrian grassland found in the Serra de Carajás area

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Interview

Vera Lucia Imperatriz Fonseca: The vast world of bees

For 20 years, the biologist has defended the role of pollinators in conserving native forests and expanding agricultural production

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Environment

How to monitor forest fires

Data from NASA and INPE satellites confirms increased number of fires in the Amazon

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Microbiology

Bacteria in the ICU

Microbes found on mattresses, medical equipment, and smart devices can survive routine cleaning

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New materials 

New energy applications for gold and platinum

Platinum-coated gold nanoparticles could enhance the efficiency of fuel-cell catalysts

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Physico-chemistry

The hidden strokes of Portinari

Tests show how the artist produced his artwork and may be useful in confirming the author of a piece found in the painter’s former home

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Physics

Fluidity in curved space-time

Study supports theory on how dense matter interacts with strong gravitational fields

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Environment

How forests are reborn

In dry areas, hardwood trees are the first to naturally regenerate, while the reverse scenario occurs in wet forests

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Interview

Alexandre Antonelli: At the forefront of science in royal gardens

In February, a Brazilian biologist will assume the role of scientific director of Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom

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Health

Life-saving vaccines

Butantan produces 100 million doses of nine vaccines each year

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Health

Partnership for a dengue vaccine

Butantan produces 100 million doses of nine different types each year

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Physics

Shapes in transition

Group captures real-time changes in the geometry and charge distribution of four molecules

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Paleontology

Why Crato uniquely preserves fossils

A shrimp found in Crato illustrates the rich detail exhibited by fossils in the area

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IPCC

Land use and climate change

Humanity uses over 70% of the earth's ice-free land surface, and primary activities account for nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Genetics

New mutations linked to short stature

DNA testing reveals origin of 15% of growth disorders without a known cause in children

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Epidemiology

A resurgence of leprosy

New cases have risen in Brazil for two consecutive years, with more than 28,000 confirmed cases in 2018

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Medicine

Clean blood against yellow fever

Experimental plasma exchange therapy reduced mortality to 5% this year in São Paulo

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Geography

The dance of the dunes

Researchers collect precise data on the movement of sand dunes in Lençóis Maranhenses

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Oceanography

Revelations from a submerged archipelago

Beaches, rivers, and mangroves covered a mountain range that was above sea level 40 million years ago

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Epidemiology

Health in the balance

Spending cuts in primary care could curb decline in premature mortality, modeling shows

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Interview

Paola Marcella Camargo Minoprio: A new front against emerging diseases

The Pasteur Institute in Paris, USP, and FIOCRUZ start partnership under coordination of São Paulo biomedical scientist

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Archaeology

Homo sapiens in the Peloponnese

A 210,000-year-old skull fragment found in southern Greece may be the oldest evidence of the presence of modern humans outside Africa

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Paleoanthropology

Diaspora 2.5 million years ago

Chipped stone artifacts found in Jordan may be evidence of archaic humans leaving Africa 400,000 years earlier than previously thought

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Physics

The unexpected power of friction

Brazilian and German scientists explain unexpected motion of barrel in explosive ping-pong ball experiment

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Soundscape

Environmental acoustics

Audio recordings are used to profile ecosystems and identify changes caused by humans

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Genetics

Scattered ancestry

Mestizos from Brazil's southern states have more Amerindian DNA lineage than modern-day indigenous groups in the region.

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Neurology

A new form of dementia

Confused with Alzheimer’s, LATE appears with greater frequency in octogenarians

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Public health

Kissing bugs have arrived in Greater São Paulo

Since 2015, more than 100 insects have been captured, 30% of them infected with the protozoan that causes Chagas disease

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