Peer Reviewed

The quest for new materials exhibiting high-temperature superconductivity may be about to explode into life again. In Nature this week, a team of researchers in Japan demonstrate the highest temperature yet reported for a non-copper-based material.

Papayas are not just exotic fruits with nutritional and medicinal benefits, they are also model plants for studying genetics and evolution. Summaries of newsworthy papers include Beetle key to carbon switch, Test-tube recipe makes functioning heart cells, Linking events across a key climate transition and more

Serdang, Malaysia - Five out of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) six researchers, whom participated in the International Exhibition of Inventions New Techniques and Products Geneva (INTPG).

Sarawak is the world's largest exporter of sago, exporting up to 40,000 ton sago a year. Sago mills that produced sago starch through debarking and processing of sago trunk, generates effluent which is channelled into nearby rivers. A research conducted in UNIMAS currently looks at turning this potential pollutants into commerciable entities.

Keio University will be the first in Japan to provide national household panel data to the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), which will enable researchers around the world to use the data in international comparisons of income and poverty.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Plant genetics: Evolution provides a cleanser for polluted soils, Greenhouse effect from tropospheric ozone and Back-to-front West Nile vaccine

TextImi is a system that helps people understand the thoughts of others from large volumes of text through a collaboration between computer analysis and human interpretation. The system can be used in for marketing surveys coordinated with network research systems, customer voice analysis, public comment analysis and more.

The genomic sequences of more than a thousand influenza virus isolates are analysed in research published online in Nature this week. The results suggest a model in which new lineages arise from the tropics and move towards more temperate regions, and the work will have implications for selection of viruses for vaccine programmes.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Why fishing magnifies fluctuations in fish abundance, Measuring a fractional electron charge, Helping the immune system, An ancient record of methane emissions, Raising the 'anti' and Sequencing gets personal

Rising food prices around the world have already impacted on the poorest communities. Here we highlight the many experts and research projects on food. Experts are listed in this article.

The mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus), is an important food fish in Southeast Asia. Several trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of hormones to induce spawning of mangrove red snapper.

Two works from Waseda University - "Seikilos-san to Watashi (Mr. Seikilos and Me)" and "Seishun-hakaba (Grave of Youth)" were nominated at the Film Festival. "Seikilos-san to Watashi (Mr. Seikilos and Me)"won the Award of Governor of Hokkaido

Biofuels have come under criticism lately for competing with the world food production. The Jathropha curcas is a weed that does not compete with food production yet yields fuel and heals wounds. UNIMAS is currently working on developing its potential as the alternative plant for biofuels production.

Preserving the longstanding educational philosophy of the Kyoritsu University of Pharmacy, Keio University will work together to establish a new comprehensive model of pharmacy education, research, social contribution and international cooperation for the future of Japan and the world.

On 1 April, the Graduate School of System Design and Management and Graduate School of Media Design were established as part of Keio University's 150th Anniversary Commemorative Project, aiming at fostering innovative leaders in complex fields.

Two Universiti Putra Malaysia researchers whose inventions have brought in more than RM20mil have won the Commercialisation Award at the university’s excellence awards ceremony. With their research products, rice farmers’ yields have increased from four tonnes to 10 tonnes per hectare and sold in other ASEAN countries and the Middle East.

Summaries of newsworthy papers including: Freezing the Eocene greenhouse, Frequency-tunable terahertz metamaterials, Decisions occur before awareness, ‘What’ and ‘where’ in auditory cortex, Arsenic action on leukaemia, Surgery on a microchip

In January, Nature launched a survey into readers’ use of cognition-enhancing drugs. The hotly anticipated results are now published – and there are some surprises.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Tracing gases over the pristine Amazon forest, Nanotechnology: Extraordinary light, New mode of pathogen attack revealed?, A new route to ferroelectricity and Heat flow: A counterintuitive phenomenon

Indo-Malayan region is one of the richest bird species areas in the world. Researchers in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak found that sea level and climate changes during the last glacial period played a key role in the diversification of birds in this region where bird species gradually diversified when sea levels were low. This continues until today.

Towards the development of information infrastructure technology which Japan will promote globally

The two universities conduct collaborative researches in a broad range of fields, including organ transplantation, regenerative medicine, medical robotics, and genetic diagnosis technology.

As hundreds of citizens around Sri Lanka help spread the benefits of modern technology to small communities, 20 of them find inspiration on a study tour to India.

A study by researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan, shows that age, gender, place of residence, and health status/behavior indicators significantly affect future health and mortality of older people, ages 50 and above, in the Philippines.

The application of mantle tomography to seismic intensity data gathered in Central Philippines by researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman offers new insights into the collision in ancient times between the Palawan Microcontinental Block and the Philippine Mobile Belt in Central Philippines.

Summaries of newsworthy papers including: Host-to-graft disease spread in Parkinson disease?, Common genetic variants influencing adult height and p53 hampers energy metabolism in cancer cells.

At the World Largest Invention Market this week, UPM researchers unveil a new method which significantly decreases the catalyst particle size to nanoparticle size. This method is the first such breakthrough in the world.

In Geneva this week, UPM researchers show new system for real time electrical conductivity mapping comprising of a measurement probe, data logger, Differential Global Positioning System and a computer mounted in a tractor cab.

From World's Largest Market-Place for Inventions in Geneva, UPM researchers show a new design for a gamma camera which reduces its weight from 115 kg to just 45 kg.

From UPM in Geneva this week - This research is on a system for in-situ testing of high strength concrete which can be widely applied in the construction industry as it is easy to assemble & suitable for in-situ concrete strength estimation, including high-strength/ high-performance concrete.