Issue # 348 _ February 2025

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Cover

Distance learning on the rise in the private sector, representing the majority in teaching degrees
Rapid and disorganized expansion of distance-learning undergraduate courses in Brazil exposes the potential and weaknesses of the model By

 

INDICATORS

Surveys reveal expansion and diversification of topics of interest to researchers in Brazil

Data indicate changes in the distribution of research teams and a greater variety of subjects studied at Brazilian universities

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interview

Maysa Furlan: Breaking the glass ceiling

Maysa Furlan, a specialist in natural product chemistry and the first female dean of UNESP, reflects on the challenges women face in science

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CLIMATE CHANGE

2024 was the first year with global warming above 1.5 °C

All continents broke their average temperature record except for Oceania and Antarctica

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PHYSIOLOGY

Cold and heat killed 142,700 people in Brazilian cities from 1997 to 2018

Deaths from extreme temperature highs and lows caused annual losses of around US$443 million in the period

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ENVIRONMENT

Artificial intelligence identifies areas most vulnerable to landslides

Study compares the effectiveness of five machine-learning models at predicting this type of disaster in São Sebastião

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GEOSCIENCES

Map exposes oldest structures in South America

Tomography techniques redefine boundaries of rock structures formed billions of years ago

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PUBLIC HEALTH

Sexual violence against boys grew at a rate of 6.8% per year between 2013 and 2022

39,900 cases were reported in the period; two of every three occurred at the victim's home

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CHRONOBIOLOGY

Biological clock of cyanobacteria, which live for one day, predicts the arrival of winter

Result surprises scientists, leading them to rethink the mechanisms and evolutionary importance of adjusting to natural rhythms

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ZOOLOGY

GPS mapping reveals the role of forests in jaguar conservation

Study included 54 jaguars fitted with tracking collars in 12 locations across South America

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ECOLOGY

Rodents in the Pantanal use holes dug by armadillos as temporary shelter

Other animals, such as ocelots and foxes, were observed approaching the dens but not entering

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PHYSICS

Disorder in state of matter generates new type of superconductor

Manipulation of the so-called nematic phase can be used to stimulate conduction of electric current without energy loss

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OPTICS

New generation of chips

Brazilian universities and research centers developing prototypes of light-based devices that promise greater speed and lower energy consumption

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MATERIALS ENGINEERING

Research centers and companies in Brazil finding new applications for niobium

Innovations made using the material target batteries, cosmetics, fungicides, and catalysts

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NEUROSCIENCE

Robotic platform makes transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment more precise

Software-guided equipment created by Brazilian researchers improves equipment used to treat degenerative and psychiatric diseases

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SOCIETY

Children can help make cities more welcoming and inclusive

Children’s participation in urban planning should be taken seriously, researchers say

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CINEMA

Researchers recover lost films on the Brazilian military dictatorship

Imagens were produced by professional and amateur film-makers while political repression and censorship blocked their circulation

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VISUAL ARTS

Artificial intelligence creates new possibilities, but also poses challenges for artists

Use of AI raises a number of questions about the process of artistic creation, including authorship

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