2016
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2016 Magazine articles
Drug delivery that hits the dotThe Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Brightly fluorescent nanocrystals, called quantum dots, can be used to test the delivery of drugs packaged into nanocapsules. |
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Graphene-based nanolubricants could grease automotive industry’s futureThe University of Nottingham Malaysia CampusMalaysian scientists are studying the use of graphene “nanoflakes” to create a new generation of enhanced lubricants for the automotive industry. |
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Understanding food choices in Hong KongAsia Research NewsScientists at Taylor’s University in Malaysia and the Chinese University of Hong Kong are undertaking interdisciplinary research to understand the food habits of the people of Hong Kong. |
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Birdcages source of dengue virusUniversiti Malaysia SarawakResearchers in Malaysia and Japan have found that birdcages kept at home may be a breeding site for mosquitoes that transmit dengue virus to humans. |
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Remote sensing maps threats to Malaysia’s mangrovesUniversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Centre for Collaborative Innovation (CCI)-UKMRemote sensing data reveals land use and land cover changes over an 18-year period at one of the best-managed mangrove forests in the world. |
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Antibacterial medical implantsIOP PublishingResearchers in Singapore and Hong Kong have created a novel, bacteria-repelling biomaterial that could increase the success of medical implants. |
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Asia’s coasts to experience most extreme weatherInternational Development Research Centre (IDRC)Over the next 50 years, people living at low altitudes in developing countries, particularly those in coastal Asia, will suffer the most from extreme weather patterns, according to researchers. |
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Identifying drug targets for leukaemiaThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)Researchers from Hong Kong and the U.S. have developed a new statistical and mapping method that could help identify drug targets for treating leukaemia. |
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Cell fusion discovery could improve agricultural productionInstitute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya UniversityAn international research team has observed cell fusion in flowering plants for the first time in more than a century. The discovery demystifies how plants prevent the attraction of excessive pollen tubes after a successful fertilisation. |
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Recovering energy from power plantsUniversiti Malaysia SarawakResearchers are harnessing the energy of moving seawater that is being used to cool a power plant in Malaysia. |
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Malaysian carbon tax could pave way to renewable energy futureUniversity of MalayaIf Malaysia doesn’t take action to control its carbon emissions through a carbon tax, the damage caused by climate change over a 95-year period could cost the country more than 40 trillion Malaysian ringgits (US$9.1 trillion). |
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Animal-inspired whiskers key to new navigation technologyIOP PublishingResearchers have developed artificial whiskers that allow robots to “see” the surroundings in dark and murky places by analysing the way the whiskers respond to water and air flow. |
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Bringing sexual violence out of the shadowsInternational Development Research Centre (IDRC)Led by a feminist network based in India, researchers and advocates across South Asia are building the case for new legal and medical responses to sexual violence, while empowering victims to speak out. |
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Microfilter allows non-invasive diagnosis of fetal abnormalitiesThe Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)A new method could allow physicians to diagnose fetal genetic abnormalities during pregnancy without the risks involved in current techniques.
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Plant metabolite promises more effective chemotherapyThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)Apigenin, a natural metabolite found in plants and vegetables, is poised to improve chemotherapy significantly. |
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Study weighs pros and cons of GMO mandatory labellingAsia Research NewsMalaysian researchers have concluded that mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods is justified, based on an extensive review of international scientific and legal frameworks related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). |
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Energy recycling heats upUniversiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)Scientists have developed a novel system that recovers energy normally lost in industrial processes. |
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Brain maps highlight autism disordersUniversiti Malaysia SarawakBrain maps of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) show different levels of connectivity between parts of the brain compared with typical individuals. |
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New graphene-coated “e-fabrics” detect noxious gasesElectronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI)Scientists in Korea have developed wearable, graphene-coated fabrics that can detect dangerous gases present in the air, alerting the wearer by turning on an LED light. |
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Bending light with silicon nanoparticlesThe Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Researchers in Singapore are using “nanoantennae” to manipulate light beams. This may open the door to the development of new light-based technologies.
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Combating antimicrobial-resistant urinary tract infectionsUniversiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)Scientists in India have found that garlic extract may be an effective weapon against multidrug-resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria associated with urinary tract infections. |
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Where humans meet wildlife: managing the health risksInternational Development Research Centre (IDRC)Researchers in Sri Lanka are strengthening the nation’s capacity to detect and manage health issues linked to wildlife-human interactions. |
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Could indigenous knowledge systems combat climate change?International Development Research Centre (IDRC)As the global scientific community combines technology and brains to track climate change patterns and effects, indigenous populations have been noting these changes in a landscape they know intimately. |
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Combined screening could detect early schizophreniaUniversiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)Researchers in Malaysia have tested a combination of screening tools to assess their validity for the early diagnosis of schizophrenia. |
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Preserving indigenous music with mathematicsUniversity of the Philippines DilimanMathematical algorithms may soon help to analyse, organise, understand and sift through large collections of indigenous Philippine music.
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Reaching out to stars beyond our galaxyKavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)An international team of researchers in Japan is getting ready to power up a 50,000-ton neutrino detector by adding a single metal, which will turn it into the world’s first detector capable of analysing exploding stars beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the Milky Way. |
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Membrane “nano-fasteners” key to next-generation fuel cellsKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)Scientists at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new way of making fuel cell membranes using nanoscale fasteners, paving the way for lower-cost, higher-efficiency and more easily manufactured fuel cells.
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