Medicine

The neurons in the primary visual cortex processing high- and low-frequency images are distinct

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.

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

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.

Building for Clinical Research*, a cluster-type research infrastructure, was inaugrated at Shinanomachi Campus. The facility will be used for several research clusters to promote research between different fields. It was designed to be low-impact and long-lasting, and cope with the ever-changing needs of leading-edge medical research.

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.

A peer reviewer for The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) broke confidentiality rules and leaked a damaging report about the blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia to the drug’s manufacturer weeks ahead of publication, Nature has learned. Also ... Taking stock of the Big Apple’s air and water may soon be more difficult for researchers.

“On the heels of avian influenza, the medical community has realized that, if you want to deal with emerging diseases, 75% of which come from animals, you have to deal with the animal side of the equation.”

New capacity and fresh insights are among the goals of the Teasdale-Corti global health program that aims to expand the influence of research over a wide range of health issues.

A potentially fatal species of malaria is being commonly misdiagnosed as a more benign form of the disease, thereby putting lives at risk, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust and the University Malaysia Sarawak.

Statistical analyses demonstrate variability in association between genes and osteoarthritis links to ethnicity. Genes can affect disease differently depending on one’s ethnicity, concludes a team of international researchers reporting in the July 2007 issue of Human Molecular Genetics[1].

Natural chemicals found in green tea may be a safe and easily administered neuroprotective treatment for Parkinson's disease

Many of the historic moments in modern science can now be explored online. The archive of the first eighty years (1869-1949) of the journal Nature, the world's foremost weekly scientific journal, goes live today. Every article published in Nature, back to volume 1, issue 1 will now be available online.

Researchers identify a mechanism controlling the function of an important cellular protein

Garcinia atroviridis known in Malaysia as Asam Gelugor is popularly used as seasoning in curries, sour relish and fish dressing. FRIM researchers have discovered that it also has the ability to help reduce weight and have developed it into a herbal tea.

The Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries is offering three Fellowship schemes aimed at supporting deserving young scientists and researchers in developing countries. Applications are invited for the year 2008.

In what will become an annual event, Nature is singling out a "Newsmaker of the Year". The newsmaker in question is Rajendra Pachauri, the Indian engineer and economist who currently chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Next-generation sequencing has been selected as the Method of the Year 2007 by Nature Methods.

Japanese biologists identify a protein critical to the normal development of the embryonic brain

Discovering the structure of a key protein in human cells may lead to treatment for asthma and shock

In Nature China this week - The northward transport of nutrient-rich waters through the Bering Strait could act as negative feedback on global warming and plants can be genetically engineered to stunt the growth of insect pests

A combination of experimental and theoretical approaches may help explain the molecular mechanics underlying each muscle contraction

A method of reprogramming rhesus macaque adult fibroblasts into embryonic stem cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer is presented in Nature this week.

In Nature China this week, scientists in China have isolated a protein from peanut seeds that has antifungal, antibacterial and anticancer activities while scientists in Hong Kong have demonstrated the possibility of a three-dimensional cloaking device for sound.

The Tokyo University of Science and Korea University signed an academic exchange agreement. Established in 1905 and located in Seoul, Korea University is the Republic of Korea's top private university. It ranks only behind Seoul National University in terms of prestige.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Fires affect carbon balance in boreal forest, Breaking the silence, Stars spiral into life, Dance for your supper, Time taken to first base, The workhorse picks up speed and Caribbean reefs struggling to recover from ecological sucker punches

Women with high blood pressure during pregnancy should be monitored closely both during and after birth. Women in this group have an increased chance of developing cardiovascular problems and stroke later in life and the risks are under-recognized.

Tiny polymer tubules can be assembled into ultra-absorbent sponges that have useful electrical properties. Highlights from Nature China include Insulin sensitivity, incorporating sulphur into the DNA backbone, Rice regulating small interfering RNAs, insoluble organic molecules arranged into thin films and giant dendrimers

Prof. Albert Osterhaus a world renowned scientist/researcher in avian influenza will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Bangkok International Conference on Avian Influenza 2008 (23-25 January 2008) and will present on “Development of pandemic influenza vaccines”.

The avian flu virus H5N1 infects the respiratory tract and spreads to other organs in the human body. Other highlights from Nature China include Endometrial cancer, Turn pollution into power, Colon cancer and heart disease, Climate change and dust storms and Helical nanofibres