Issue # 173 _ July 2010

S&T Policy

Human Resources

Modern mathematics

Project to take 20th century mathematics research progress into the classroom

Economics

Riches at hand

Academics propose ways to put forest assets to better use

recognition

A model program

Summary of the results of the first 10 years of Biota-FAPESP published in Science

Promotion

International dissemination

Aid for publications finances translations and encourages publishing houses to maintain scientific collections

ASSESSMENT

The battle for quality

Ibero-American leaders, USP and Unicamp discuss how to increase the impact of their research

Science

Biochemistry

Well-regulated insulin and glucose

Physical activity and unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 revert inflammation that unleashes obesity and diabetes

Biology

Autism connection

Neurons present chemical dysfunction linked to brain development

Ecology

Good companions

Population density influences life span of termites

Earth Science

The last piece of Gondwana

The ancient ocean that isolated the Amazon from other blocks in South America dried up 520 million years ago

Geology

Hitching a ride in steam

Interaction of water with rocks facilitated the accumulation of copper and the formation of amethysts

Physics

Enigmatic attraction

New theory helps explain the behavior of ions diluted in water

Technology

Energy

Stored electricity

Company develops a battery for electric vehicles and solar and wind systems

Energy

Multielectricity plant

Itaipu Binacional produces electric vehicles in a partnership with Fiat and Swiss companies

Transport

Environmental bus

Coppe builds a vehicle driven by hydrogen and batteries

national stent

Now made in Brazil

First stent produced Brazil to correct narrowed arteries has a market

new material

Resistant and flexible

Carbon nanotubes incorporated into cement and polymers result in more versatile products

Humanities

Anthropology

The invention of Indians in Brazil

Analysis of ethnographies produced by Salesian missionaries deconstructs the notion of the anthropologist as a translator

Demographics

Brazilian diversity

2010 Census to reveal how many ethnic groups and languages exist in Brazil Carlos Haag

Literature

A genius of the essay

Study states that essayist Nelson Rodrigues was "Brazil's Montaigne"