Peer Reviewed

In Nature China this week - A new strain of natural antibiotic could help stop bacterial blight in rice, SARS virus: Rafting into host cells, Anticancer agents: A clue to how they work and more.

Dr. Cesar Mercado, founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Development Center for Asia Africa Pacific (DCAAP) promotes the development of social technologies in the Philippines. He has produced more than fifteen culturally adapted social technologies (CAST) which he continuously shares to interested social scientists and researchers.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Mississippi sinking, Pass the acetyl, please, New syndrome of mental retardation and epilepsy identified, Gene hunters strike oil and Reversing impaired brain function in diabetes – Nature Neuroscience

In-depth interviews with over 100 entrepreneurs in Bangalore suggest that deficiencies in the performance of basic governmental functions (such as in collecting taxes and maintaining land records) play a significant role in discouraging businesses from starting at or expanding to an economically efficient scale of operation.

Although signs have emerged that some of the forces that caused the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis have begun to diminish and progress has been made in macroeconomic affairs, 10 years after the meltdown Indonesia's recovery is still among the slowest in Asian crisis countries.

This paper contributes to the debate on the use of temporary controls on capital outflows as a crisis resolution measure by examining the outcome of Malaysia's radical response to the 1997–98 financial crisis.

This study shows that India's export performance is still far behind that of China. The implication of this study is that India's reform measures need to be bolstered effectively to catch up and to overtake China.

A protein with an important role in regulating gene expression may have other duties relating to chromosome maintenance

Researchers unravel how specific connections result in the layering of neurons in the brain

High-energy gamma rays from thunderclouds may help us to predict when lightning will strike

India started on a program of reforms, both in its external and internal aspects, in the mid-1980s. This book examines in detail these aspects of post reform India and discerns the changes and trends that these new developments have created. The book launch is on February 19 in New Delhi.

The biennial Digital Review of Asia Pacific is a comprehensive guide to the state-of-practice and trends in information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) in Asia Pacific.

IDRC is partnering with the UK’s One World Trust to strengthen the accountability of research institutes.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Astrophysics: Progenitor of a type Ia supernova, Genomes: Last of the single cells, Mineralogy: What’s in the transition zone of Earth’s mantle, Food webs: Chaos reigns and Energy scavengers for power dressing

The article discusses issues of patents, role of WTO, issues in New Drug Approval and R&D strategies adopted by Indian pharmaceutical companies and provides the basic understanding of the key success factors vital in the pharma industry.

Prof.Yoshiyasu Takefuji was the first person with the idea of camera-equipped cellular phones using satellites and is now taking on the challenge for new public transportation services with unique ideas including floors for passengers to generate electricity, speakers for noisy stations and GPS inside trains.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Undetectable ocean trends, Physics at the beach, DNA proves its potential, Genome-wide view of prostate cancer risk, fMRI tracks monkey ‘voice’ area, How HIV ravages gut immune cells

The future of computing may emerge not from electronics, but from ‘spintronics’. This new technology relies on the transport of electrons whose quantum spin states—or internal angular momentum—are all the same.

Researchers at RIKEN’s Discovery Research Institute in Wako, in collaboration with researchers from Cornell University in the US, and Kyoto University, have refined a method that measures small electronic excitations in superconductors.

RIKEN scientists have discovered a new state of matter with unusual magnetic properties—its constituent electrons are in a continuous state of flux, even at incredibly cold temperatures.

Scientists might be better served by spending their time working with their representatives on Capitol Hill rather than trying to get candidates together for a debate.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Stem cells: Circadian rhythms, Planetary science: Evidence for water, Plants: Recovery from nitrogen, Neurodegeneration: The plaque to dementia, DNA vaccines: TBK1 is doubly important, Essay: Darwin’s Enduring Legacy, Tectonics: Slice of subduction and Holography: An added dimension

In Nature China this week - The iridescent colours on beetle wings are caused by microstructures that could be replicated for camouflage technology. Other papers include Chemotherapy: Improved packaging, improved performance, Sand dunes: Light as a feather, Gene evolution: History repeats itself and Brain evolution: What makes it bigger.

Natural products, including plants, animals and minerals, have been the basis of treatment of human diseases and have been exploited for human use for thousands of years. This new publication is a collection of 25 selected papers in Natural products

This new publication by the NAM S&T Centre exposes the difficulties of agricultural output, faced by mostly dry and saline parts of the world due to scarcity of clean water and fertile land for crop production.

The Group of 77 (G-77) have approved a multi-lateral collaborative project on ‘Sustainable Rainwater Harvesting and Ground Water Recharge in Developing Countries - HRD and Technology Transfer’ for implementation by the NAM S&T Centre

Interview with Masamichi Toyama, artist and Chairman of Smiles Co., Ltd, the first example of entrepreneurship within Mitsubishi. He established Soup Stock Tokyo, while on loan to KFC. Soup Stock Tokyo is a new high quality fast food culture for mainly young women in Tokyo which operates from more than 40 outlets.

Malaysia currently produces 39.8 million tonnes oil equivalent (mtoe) of NG and consumes only 19.5 mtoe. Hence, there is plenty of NG available for automotive use. This CNG/DI Engine and Transmission research project aim to produce a car designed specifically for use with NG.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Going beyond p53’s role in cancer, Natural selection shapes modern human populations and Ancient lymphocytes

Researchers solve the mystery of how biological clocks are disrupted - A team led by researchers from RIKEN has revealed how daily or circadian rhythms in mammals can be reinforced, shifted or disrupted by exposure to a burst of bright light.