Peer Reviewed

Summaries of newsworthy articles: Sociology: How New York Beat Crime; Neuroscience: How to Build a Better Learner; Science Agenda: We Need Excellent Science Teachers ; Forum: How to Develop New Drugs of Mental Illnesses ; Human Origins: The Evolution of Grandparents

Researchers from A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed a lateral silicon-based drug screening tool that has demonstrated simultaneous capture of 12 individual cells – 12 times higher throughput than conventional patch clamping.

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Materials: Imaging bacterial infections; Geoscience: Earth’s heat flux from radioactive decay; Chemical Biology: Inactivating Ras; Immunology: Assembling the turn-off valve; Chemical Biology: A new channel for Polo delocalization; Climate Change: Conflict of interest in IPCC assessment reports

Sighting a theoretical exotic particle may become possible thanks to recently developed mathematical simulations

A family tree of the 2009 pandemic influenza viruses in Japan reveals a high rate of viral evolution

Zinc-transporting protein complexes are found unexpectedly to steer the maturation of an essential enzyme

Scientists are elated after the surprise rediscovery of a wildly-colored frog not seen for 87 years and never before photographed—until now.

Summary of news: The metabolism of breast cancer

Summary of news: Climate science: Explaining Antarctic ozone hole anomalies

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Biology: Low-energy approach to fibrillation; Comment: Medical genomics must cover more ethnic groups; Materials science: Electronic ink; Outlook: Alzheimer's disease – prevention rather than cure; Cancer: Selective slaughter and more

A summary of news: Japan's farms may avoid fallout legacy; Europe's chemical safety law under fire

Summaries of newsworthy papers: 16 years of regeneration for the newt lens; A new cellular role for TorsinA

Collaborative research from the Tokyo University of Science shows potential for bioengineered mature organ replacement as a next generation regenerative therapy.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is collaborating with Southwest Jiaotong University and Dalian Jiaotung University to study the use of its proprietary Advanced Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor (FBG) Systems for monitoring the structural health and safety of the nation’s fast-expanding High-Speed Rail.

Organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and supported by the Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission, the “Forum on Creating Synergy in Innovation and Technology – Shenzhen/Hong Kong Cooperation” was held today (8 July).

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Nature: Baked, boiled, mashed…and now sequenced; Immunology: Predicting vaccine efficacy; Neuroscience: D2 autoreceptors are rewarding; Genetics: Variants associated with prostate cancer; Geoscience: Ancient buried landscape beneath the North Atlantic Ocean and more

The world’s second X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) recently went online in Japan, hot on the heels of the first, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the US, which began operating in the hard X-ray region in 2009.

The strong coupling between electrical currents and magnetization in topological insulator materials is surprisingly unaffected by impurities

A newly identified gene variant could lead to predictive tests for a major cause of cancer-related deaths

Research suggests landfill area is not suitable for residential area development due to excessive concentration of heavy metals.

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Planetary science: Saturn’s Great White thunderstorm; Fossils: Vertebrate jaw design locked early; Comment: Grand Challenges in Global Mental Health; Geoscience: Link between Indian/African plate motions and more.

According to Thomson Reuters, the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) now ranks 34th out of 222 journals in the category of Materials Science & Multidisciplinary worldwide, and is ranked 1st among materials science journals in Japan.

The recycling spent nickel catalysts could be both profitable and environmentally friendly

A rhodium–iron catalyst helps increase the yield of hydrogen gas in the steam reforming of ethanol

By harnessing A*STAR image-recognition technology, a Singaporean start-up company is taking information delivery and marketing to a new dimension.

A large-scale analysis of the effect of dietary salt reduction on mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults has been inconclusive, reports a review by the Cochrane Collaboration published in the American Journal of Hypertension.

Japanese scientists report on a unique ‘ubiquitous element strategy’ to overcome the ‘rare-element crisis’ that was triggered by increasing demand for such elements as lithium, used in batteries, and dysprosium for Ne-Fe-B permanent magnets.

Summary of newsworthy paper: Optical switch for quantum computing

Long term exposure to fine airborne particulate matter, such as engine exhaust, may alter neuronal morphology, mood, and impair cognition, according to research in mice published online this week in Molecular Psychiatry.

PolyU’s innovative secured retinal imaging system for diabetic care