Issue # 254 _ April 2017
S&T Policy
Diffusion

Public Review
The preprints model, commonly used in the exact sciences, is gaining popularity in the biological and social sciences
By Bruno de PierroResearch & Development

Outliers
PINTEC data analysis indicates that cooperation between businesses and universities is only strong in certain sectors of the economy
By Fabrício MarquesGender

The search for balance
A study comparing scientific output by women in a range of countries highlights Brazil among those leading the way
By Fabrício MarquesFunding

Risky questions
Private institute to invest up to R$18 million per year in innovative research in Brazil
By Fabrício MarquesScience
Daniel Kleppner

Daniel Kleppner: The continuing strength of atomic physics
Experiments by this American physicist laid the foundation for major discoveries about the behavior of atoms and technological advances like GPS
By Igor ZolnerkevicPhysics

The behavior of blackouts
Mathematical models help us understand how successive failures cause blackouts in electrical networks
By Igor ZolnerkevicASTRONOMY

Hard and lifeless
Even though they resemble Earth, the crusts of some rocky exoplanets may be too rigid for them to be habitable
By Igor ZolnerkevicCytology

The hanging gardens of cells
Cultures in 3D environments reveal unknown structures and broaden understanding of brain development
By Diego FreireZoology

Spines filled with poison
Gland at the end of hairs produces toxic secretion in stinging caterpillars
By Rodrigo de Oliveira AndradePaleontology

Animals of Paraná
Mammal and bird fossils indicate the existence of ancient, unknown fauna that lived in the region of Curitiba 40 million years ago
By Marcos PivettaTechnology
AGRICULTURE

Biological controls to combat citrus greening
Companies invest in small wasps produced in the lab to combat insects that spread diseases to orange groves
By Domingos ZaparolliLivestock

Cattle genes
Knowledge of bovine genetics will likely help farmers select Nelore cattle with more tender meat
By Evanildo da SilveiraHumanities
URBAN GEOGRAPHY

A life within walls
Gated communities and shopping malls accentuate social and spatial separation in midsized cities
By Carlos Fioravanti