Nature China highlights the best research coming out of Mainland China and Hong Kong, providing scientists from around the world with a convenient portal into publications drawn from across all scientific disciplines. Each month, our editors select the best published research and provide a summary of the results. See the links at the bottom of this article to view the following research highlights:
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Gene therapy: Little RNA keeps cancer away
MicroRNA research reveals therapeutic targets for liver cancer
CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Cancer biology: Sugar bar
p53 regulates glucose biosynthesis in cancer cells by inhibiting an important enzyme
Structural biology: Unfolding degradation
Biochemical analyses and crystal structure provide mechanistic insight into ATP-dependant protein degradation
CLINICAL MEDICINE
Preventive medicine: Breathing easy
A four-year trial has evaluated the impact of community-based integrated interventions on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Geology: Cold Cretaceous
The composition of oxygen isotopes in fossil remains suggest that the climate in parts of ancient Asia was colder than previously thought
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Palaeontology: A treasure trove of diversity
The discovery of Lantian biota offers new clues to the origin of morphological diversity
Palaeontology: Walking cactus
The limb morphology of Diania cactiformis suggest that limbs might have evolved exoskeletons before the body did
MATERIALS
Optoelectronic materials: A shoelace laser
Researchers in China have constructed a single-mode laser from a 75 [mu]m nanowire
NEUROSCIENCE
Molecular neuroscience: How to say no
New findings reveal how the synaptic plasticity of neurons is regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system
Molecular neuroscience: The path of awakening
Orexin plays a major role in the regulation of motor control and its absence could result in sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and cataplexy
