Issue # 232 _ June 2015
S&T Policy
Laboratories

Fragmented efforts
IPEA study indicates Brazil’s research infrastructure has benefited from recent but unsystematic investment
By Fabrício MarquesCollaboration

Competitive measurements
Inmetro seeks universities to participate in a Brazilian metrology network
By Bruno de PierroBioenergy

Obstacle race
Study indicates that Brazil plays a modest role in cellulosic ethanol research networks, despite its importance as a biofuel producer
By Fabrício MarquesEvaluation

What each does best
USP Chemistry Institute department develops method to measure faculty performance
By Fabrício MarquesScience
MENTAL HEALTH

A long maturation period
Functional magnetic resonance images begin to reveal stages of development in the brain’s networks along with deviations that might indicate future psychiatric disorders
By Ricardo ZorzettoTISSUE ENGINEERING

Made-to-measure organs
Stem cells aid in producing trachea and blood vessels with less risk of transplant rejection
By Pablo NogueiraAstronomy

An enigma in the Milky Way
International team identifies young stars in our galaxy with the chemical composition of old stars
By Igor ZolnerkevicPHYSICS

Less energy loss
International group produces graphene and phosphorene transistor in the laboratory, with layers one atom thick
By Igor ZolnerkevicOCEANOGRAPHY

Thinner and more fragile
Ice shelves in western Antarctica are losing volume, and one shelf may disappear by the end of the decade
By Marcos PivettaZOOLOGY

A zoo among the feathers
Birds are hosts to a wide variety of mites, most of them unknown to science
By André JuliãoTechnology
NANOTECHNOLOGY

Selective transport
Silica nanoparticles carry antibiotics and eliminate bacteria without harming healthy cells
By Evanildo da SilveiraComputer science

Recognizing the environment
System developed with video game technology transforms images into sounds in order to simplify the day-to-day activities of the visually impaired
By Dinorah ErenoBIOTECHNOLOGY

Natural actives
Red blood cells are a source of proteins and lipids for producing small capsules and drug candidates
By Dinorah Ereno