Issue # 200 _ October 2012

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Cover

The beginning and the end of cosmic rays
New studies are expanding our understanding of the possible origins of these subatomic particles, which are accelerated to nearly the speed of light, traverse intergalactic space and break up when they collide with other particles upon reaching the Earth By

S&T Policy

Science Education  

A Bottleneck in the Classroom

Poor performance in science learning reduces number of researchers and makes Brazil less competitive

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Science Journalism

Stories to Tell

Access to scanned documents helps reconstruct the historical path of the spread of science in Brazil

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Natural products

Organized diversity

Center creates a database on chemical compounds that have a potential use in the development of medicines

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World Science Forum

Ideas for the World Science Forum

Texts by Luiz Davidovich, Fernando Galembeck, Michael T. Clegg, Jessica Bland e Sonia Vasconcelos

Science

PUBLIC HEALTH

AIDS still far from under control

High infection rates persist among homosexuals, revealing weak spots in prevention strategies

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tropical disease

Parasite poised for the attack

Vesicles with proteins help Trypanosoma cruzi invade host cells

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Neurodegenerative diseases 

The brain’s timepiece

Compounds found in blood may indicate degree of brain aging

Tropical ecosystems 

Evolution written in lianas

Botanists use climbing plants to understand the origin of Brazilian forests

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Evolution of the galaxy  

The heart of the Milky Way

Largest survey of stars ever performed reconstitutes the central region of the galaxy

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Climate

A Heat Island in the Amazon

The urban area of the city of Manaus is 3ºC warmer than the surrounding forest

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Technology

Biofuel technology

Between sugars and genes

Applied scientific knowledge of sugarcane could prove useful in developing new tools for ethanol production

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Mining

Microbes that mine

The University of São Paulo (USP) and Vale conduct research to discover microorganisms that can extract copper from ore

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Business research

In search of new chemical routes

Oxiteno introduces products made from palm, soybean and sugarcane oils to replace petrochemicals

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GENETIC IMPROVEMENT

Vitamin Enriched Cassava

More nutritious tubers and beans are available to feed Brazilians

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Humanities

Thought

Contemporaneity of Ancient Greece

A study of texts by Aristotle and Plato reveals the origins of contemporary scientific concepts

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Statistics

Research as a Basis for Policy

Academic studies on the public’s needs increasingly help governments adopt solutions

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Political Science

Votes that really count

Brazil’s electoral system is a model of efficiency and democracy

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Sociology

An artistic tradition borne of tensions

Intellectual creations and the culture industry engage in dialogue through blows and kisses

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