Issue # 108 _ February 2005
S&T Policy
Environment

A climate of uncertainty
The Kyoto Protocol comes into force some eight years behind schedule
By Claudia IziqueFinancing
Sponsoring excellence
Impa widens its commitments and creates chairs paid for by businessmen
By Fabrício MarquesEntrepreneurial Companies
Initial Capital
Twenty PIPE companies prepare to take their projects to the market
Science
Medicine

Salt in excess
Goiter has ended. Now the problem is an exaggerated consumption of iodine
By Alessandra PereiraBiochemistry

Sugar for diabetics
A component of the cellular wall of a grass facilitates the absorption of glucose
Astrophysics

The Jewels of Saturn
Images from the Cassini probe suggests the existence of four new moons and confirm the theoretical model that explains errors in the rings
By Ricardo ZorzettoEcology

Night in the arid outback
Botanists from Pernambuco State throw light on the peculiarities of pollination in the Caatinga
By Verônica FalcãoGeophysics
Tsunami - Effect at a distance
The energy released by the Asian earthquake may well set off other strong tremors throughout the planet
By Carlos FioravantiTechnology
Meteorology

Inside the rain clouds
A new hydro-meteorological system is going to forecast rain with up to threehours of anticipation
By Marcos de OliveiraInnovation

Rewarding effort
Companies that innovate and differentiate their products export more and with higher prices than their competitors
By Dinorah ErenoGeology
Portrait from the past
Studies concerning the past temperature of the earth?s surface help in discovering minerals
By Yuri VasconcelosGeochronology
The ages of the earth
A network is going to spur study on the dating of rocks and the possibility of finding oil fields
By Fabrício MarquesSpeech Therapy

Precision hearing
Equipment for hearing tests gains a more efficient calibration system
Humanities
History
Annoying neighborliness
Study compares the histories and rivalries of Brazil and Argentina
By Carlos Haag