International issue | January 2018
S&T Policy
Litigation

Industrial policy in check
In response to a ruling by a WTO panel, the Brazilian government considers changes in laws and in the ways in which it encourages R&D
By Fabrício MarquesInnovation

A worrisome calm
The PINTEC survey found stability in the number of Brazilian companies that innovated between 2012 and 2014 and observed increasing difficulties for industry
By Fabrício MarquesINDICATORS

A map of scientific competencies
Study shows where researchers are concentrated and describes the impact of their production in the 15 administrative regions of the state of São Paulo
By Fabrício MarquesGender

The search for balance
A study comparing scientific output by women in a range of countries highlights Brazil’s improvement
By Fabrício MarquesScience
Physiology

Weight across generations
Among rats, the effects of excessive or insufficient feeding can be transmitted to children and grandchildren
By Reinaldo José LopesNeuroscience

Hunting circuits
Two neural pathways that originate in the brain’s amygdala control the aggressive behavior of predators
By Marcos PivettaPaleontology

Shelter for giants
Extinct for 10,000 years, ground sloths and giant armadillos may have built the largest paleoburrows ever discovered on Earth
By Igor ZolnerkevicPhysics

Quantum trickster
A Brazilian group controlled the heat generated by atomic nuclei
By Igor ZolnerkevicElectronics Engineering

Chip for particle collisions
Brazilian researchers develop and test a device to be installed in the Large Hadron Collider at Cern
By RedaçãoASTRONOMY

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

Alternative uses for a plant fiber
Brazilian companies are investing in nanocellulose, a promising material for reinforcing plastic and cement, and the production of prostheses and sensors
By RedaçãoAgriculture

Biological control against 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 could help farmers select Nelore cattle with tender meat
By RedaçãoMetallurgical engineering

More efficient metals
Technological innovations enhance performance of steel used in electric motors and power transformers
By Domingos Zaparolli