Peer Reviewed

KAI Square is the software and hardware vendor for local public bus fleet operators' in-vehicle surveillance system and central management system. The company has teamed up with A*STAR’s Data Storage Institute (DSI), to provide an integrated solution targeted to benefit fleet operators.

The IDRC-funded project Trade, Gender and Equity in Latin America assessed the impact of trade patterns on female labour. The research revealed that, overall, trade has not resulted in more jobs for women, nor has it narrowed the income gap between men and women.

Development of novel transistor with combined logic and memory functions with power consumption reduced to one-millionth that of conventional devices.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Nanotechnology: Keeping the carbon-nanotube blood flowing; Chemistry: An iron-sandwich solar cell; Neuroscience: The neuroscience of nutrition; And finally…Nature: The nitty-gritty of nicotine addiction.

Research on spin frustration in complex electron systems could help solve some of the world’s pressing energy problems

A set of neighboring immune-system genes each receive separate activation instructions despite being controlled by a common factor

Rapid activation of specific genes readies the mammalian body for seasonal change

At the AAAS will be two scientists involved in cutting-edge research at RIKEN. Yoichi Yamada will discuss his team’s work on a new “micro-reaction chip”, as the basis for a revolutionary technique for conducting chemical reactions and Hiroyuki Ichida will discuss the application of heavy-ion beams to plant and microbial breeding.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Genomics: Orang-utan genome reveals a tale of two islands; Astrophysics: A glimpse of the Universe 500 million years after the Big Bang; Genetics: Social dominance imprinted?; Materials science: Nanopatterning technique mixes firm with flexible; And finally… Time for a new clock model?

Researchers at RIKEN, Yokohama City University and the University of Tokyo have uncovered how gut bifidobacteria protect the body against lethal infection by enhancing the defenses of colonic epithelium.

A*STAR I²R team that pioneered Dance!3D system selected to be one of six finalists out of 23 nominees

Dr Judyanna Ng, Senior Lecturer of the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), displayed her innovative design in an extraordinary and glamorous knitwear fashion show in Hong Kong "Knitwear Symphony 2011" staged on the 19th January at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Takashi Kawai, a Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, analyses the current boom in 3D entertainment and the potential future applications of 3D technology.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Geoscience: Variable melting of Himalayan glaciers; Immunology: Antibody diversity linked to gut mucosal defense; Geoscience: Coal contribution to Permian extinction; Chemical Biology: An inhibitor sneaks in; And finally…Neuroscience: Strengthening memories during sleep.

Researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center have discovered a series of genes that control cell division and cell growth

Helical molecules that contract reversibly when oxidized pave the way to new single-molecule electrochemical switches

Polymer films that unfurl in the light could be the first of a new family of functional materials

A new study on social cognition has clarified a key role for the medial frontal region of the cerebral cortex in differentiating between the actions of oneself and the actions of others.

New findings reported this week in Science by researchers at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI) shed first-ever light on the neural mechanisms that enable board game experts to quickly generate optimal moves.

‘Social’ robots with human-like mannerisms allow for more natural interactions with human users.

Forensic scientists have developed an automated system to extract volatile data from mobile phones

Computer-aided molecular design can help scientists find more efficient catalysts for polymerization reactions

Photonics and microelectromechanical systems fabricated separately on different wafers can now be aligned precisely by finishing with a single processing step

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Social evolution: Small farmers; Comment: Prenatal genetic testing is here at last; Social evolution: Small farmers; Quantum physics: Solid-state spins entangled by the billions; Social evolution: Too risky to succeed?; And finally… To sleep, perchance to dream.

Officials of international health agencies are recommending a pilot roll-out of cholera vaccination in Haiti, despite the fact that even using the world’s entire stockpile of doses would leave most Haitians without vaccine.

Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology have managed to sustain the growth of chicken embryos outside the egg.

Neuroscientists have uncovered why relatively minor details of an episode are sometimes inexplicably linked to long-term memories.

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is pleased to announce the first projects to be supported under the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund.

As food prices rise around the globe, Africa faces increased challenges to feed its citizens. IDRC’s grant will support AGRA’S innovative research to improve agricultural productivity and access to markets.

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Geoscience: Reduced climate cooling from snow and ice; Geoscience: Sea ice impedes mercury breakdown.