Peer Reviewed

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Metabolic engineering: Making the most of biomass, Cell biology: Hsp70 offers clues to lysosomal storage disorders, Climate: Quantifying the feedback; Astronomy: Gamma-ray bursts without the gamma-rays?, Chemistry: Breaking a strong bond with tungsten and Evolution: Some bare truths about running

A new role for prion protein; Proteins implicated in magnetoreception; Clocking perceptual speed; Risk variants for pancreatic cancer; Getting to the bones of echolocation; Jupiter’s moons diverged through bombardment; New chemistry clicks and Levitated half-tonne magnet recreates planetary plasmas

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s School of Design (SD) has set up the world's first image database on the lifestyle of middle-class Chinese families after gathering massive data on their living environment and analysing their expectations for modern life.

An SNSA second-class award went to Dr Chau Kwok-wing, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering of PolyU. He is honoured for the joint research project "Multiobjective decision making and rainfall-runoff prediction theories for complex flood control system for reservoirs" nominated by Liaoning Province.

PENANG, 20 January: Many children throughout the world suffer from language disorders mainly because of the failure to identify these problems at an early stage. This problem can be overcome if the language disorders are identified early.

A molecule that regulates expression of two growth factors is critical for inner ear development

Inhibitory neurons in the visual cortex of the brain exhibit a bidirectional form of plasticity after visual deprivation

The photograph depicts epidermal layer cells of dry Lotus japonicus seed, dyed so as to highlight seed segmentation.

A researcher in UNIMAS has came with a 3-in-1 Flexi Jacket, an innovative design concept that allows a backpack to serve as a hooded waterproof jacket and later in the evening, as a tent to protect its user from the outdoor natural elements.

Biodiversity: Ocean currents carried mammals to Madagascar, Synthetic biology: Making waves, Neuroscience: Grid power, Opinion: Two takes on building consensus about science, Materials: A mouldable, self-healing clay-based hydrogel, Materials science: Size matters in deformation twinning and Meteorites: Solving the colour conundrum

Nature's News Feature's this week highlights uncertainties in four key areas of climate science: precipitation, regional climate predictions, palaeoclimate data and aerosols and takes a look at five of the technical challenges involved in blending the sciences of engineering and biology.

In determining whether or not the contract with the renewal fee clause infringed the Consumer Contract Act, Article 10, the court continued to rule that it did not infringe and that it was valid up to the decision that was made by the Otsu District Court on March 27, 2009.

For eleven years straight, from 1998 on, the suicide rate in Japan has exceeded 30,000 per year, and this year shows no signs of letting up. Young people do not make up a large number of these suicides by any means, but as youth is a period with a low mortality rate in general, suicide is becoming a leading cause of death among them.

Archaeology values actual historical facts as a first priority, rather than what is often referred to as the implied truth and meaning of history. Ruins and relics, also known as buried cultural properties, are almost the only hard evidence that reveals such historical facts.

We defined “ill-temperedness” as employees’ inability to cooperate with each other and analyzed it from a viewpoint of social exchange theory, which is my primary research interest. In general, the company organization is based on a system where employees pay a cost in the form of labor to earn a profit that is later distributed among them.

I am specialized in ergonomics and am focusing my research on the next generation media, which is currently not yet prevalent but have a potential in the near future. When I was an undergraduate student, I undertook a research evaluating 3D images from the human perspective for the first time.

I have been voicing my dissenting opinion of abolishing the use of Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU)—as well as the system itself—on the grounds that consumers are given no guarantee of the effectiveness of such products.

Origin of fat build up in muscle, A new risk locus for major mood disorders, Long-term contamination in Alaska, New variants influence type 2 diabetes risk and blood sugar levels, Host factors implicated in influenza virus replication and more

The field of research into cancer is constantly expanding and developing. Here we highlight the many experts and research projects on cancer including genetic implications and possible new treatments. Experts are listed in this article.

15 Jan, Kunming, China - More than 30 partner institutions attended the Asian Partnership on Emerging Infectious Diseases (APEIR) meeting where researchers presented key findings to the media. The key outcomes from the research are summarised in this press release.

Research on the mechanism of gene switching could pave the way for regenerative medicine and provide a phenomenological foundation for the emerging field of epigenetics

Combining design concepts produces a high-sensitivity detector that could enable greater exploitation of terahertz radiation

A new recording method shows how microcircuitry in the motor cortex of the brain controls voluntary movements

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have jointly developed a Prostate Robotic System with the Singapore General Hospital that will improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostrate cancer.

Three-day workshop from January 12-14 at India International Centre, Delhi

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Neuroscience: How light can hurt; Genetics: Genetic variants influence heart function; Chemical Biology: A new peek at PI(3)K inhibitors and Geoscience: Heat flow on Enceladus

Controllable quantum systems that allow us to better understand complex physical processes are now within reach

Revelation of key elements of how the digestive system defends the body broadens the scope for oral vaccines

A research team at RIKEN has clarified details of key mechanisms driving the emergence of functional novelty in genes of eukaryotes. In a paper to appear in PLoS Genetics, the researchers analyze the molecular-level mechanisms of functionalization in duplicate genes, shedding light on their relationship to morphological evolution.

More than 100 privacy protection and biometrics security experts and policy makers and industry practitioners from over 10 countries and territories gathered at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to attend the Third International Conference on Ethics and Policy of Biometrics.