Press releases

In rice-producing Malaysia, rice bran is a rice-milling by-product that is normally considered wasteful. However, researchers at University Putra Malaysia have developed antioxidant neutraceutical formulations from rice bran oil and palm oil.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Adding a pinch of sugar, Watching protein-cutting enzymes in action, Muscle metabolism and human evolution, The political brain, Dialling up damage responders and Stem cells have nervous impulses

Two researchers from RIKEN’s SPring-8 Center in Harima have demonstrated the conversion of x-rays into longer wavelengths that preserves some of their useful properties, such as high spatial resolution.

A three-component catalytic system enables the formation of carbon–fluorine bonds at precise positions in organic molecules

Researchers find superconductivity in a material typically used as cement

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Killer asteroid shower identified, Protein duo make up tip links, Clue to HIV vaccine success, Materials: Tickle me!, SYNERGY sheds light on gene evolution, Symbiotic evolution: Host genes incorporated and finally… Jaws II

As the economical and technological growth of China increases exponentially, the country has a great opportunity to become an environmentally clean society.

Information from distant seismic events is revealing a complex picture of the tectonic plate boundary in southeast China

The exhibition will feature photographs taken by anthropologist Francisco A. Datar during the course of his fieldwork at, as well as some ethnographic materials loaned from the island-town of Capul in Northern Samar, Philippines. (Pictures are available on request)

The UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center (UPVM) opened El Poeta del Color: Amorsolo in the Vargas Collection at the Kawilihan Gallery (2/F) on 18 June 2007, in time for the official celebration of the University of the Philippines’ 2008 Centenary, and will run until 7 October 2007. (Pictures are available on request)

This APDIP e-Note intends to give a brief introduction to government interoperability frameworks (GIFs), explain how they are classified and provide details of their common features. It also discusses the importance of open standards in GIFs and why governments should consider open standards seriously when designing or evaluating their GIFs.

Asian Institute of Technology aims to focus its work on six areas : information and communications technology for development; food and aquatic systems (bio-resources); urban and rural sustainability (climate change); the Asian model of management; water; and robotic and sensor networks for an intelligent environment.

The eBario’s project won international acclaim for the innovative application of ICT to sustain social and economic development in rural communities. The research team was recently awarded a RM4 million grant to replicate the eBario project in five remote sites in Malaysia.

The advanced international collaboration program proposed by the Tokyo University of Science has been selected for adoption under the Program to Promote Internationalization of University Education (Support for Pioneering International Collaboration) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for FY2007.

Do you use ICT in your teaching or in your education work? Are you using it in an innovative way? If so, you might be eligible for an award from UNESCO Bangkok!

On the occasion of President Anzai’s first visit to India, and to begin strengthening its academic ties in that country, Keio University established 11 partnerships with Indian institutions:

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Neurodegeneration: Prion structure unfolds, New drug to treat schizophrenia, Adult stem cell with muscle, The genetics of human height, Stop that itch!, Restraining allergic responses

Researchers from NTU have come up with a new nanotechnology process that enables smaller and faster computer chips to be built.

Information and Communication Technologies have revolutionised our lives in many ways and promise to continue doing so. This section will highlight ICT research and experts featured on ResearchSEA including the latest technologies and ICT for Development

Neurobiologists from Japan and the US have identified a signaling system functioning during vertebrate development that controls the proper positioning of cells giving rise to future olfactory neurons, and their eventual correct wiring to the brain.

Researchers from the RIKEN SPring-8 Center in Harima and from the universities of Tsukuba and Tokyo have demonstrated that laser light of a single wavelength can induce reversible transformations in the molecular bond, leading to changes in a material’s magnetic properties.

Japanese researchers may have found a simple solution to the problem of keeping human embryonic stem (hES) cells alive after dissociation of the embryo into individual cells.

Nineteen species of arrow worms (chaetognaths) belonging to 3 genera were identified from samples collected along the Pacific Coast and the internal waters of the Philippines. The distribution of the species indicates that strong currents flow from the Pacific Ocean towards the Visayan Sea.

Determination of the diet composition of 15 fish species in the Visayan Sea reveals unlimited food resources and a wide range of habitats available to fish communities.

Researchers at the University of the Philippines have found that mass or individual selection may not be the best method for improving the traits for sea urchin populations. Genetic improvement of performance traits is important for growth, survival and economic gains to the fish farmer.

Three management schemes were applied to mangrove forests in five municipalities in Lingayen Gulf. The schemes were successful in improving the mangrove forest conditions but encountered setbacks due to financial limitations and minimal community participation.

This APDIP e-Note explores the benefits of using FOSS applications in telecentres with case studies from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Warm gas blanket for a baby star, Plants’ contribution to climate change effects, Type 2 diabetes all in the mind?, Volcanoes and the evolution of atmospheric oxygen levels, MicroRNA involved in embryonic patterning, Childhood game lends biodiversity insights, Flies can 'taste' fizzy drinks and The origins of the orchid

Scientists in China have developed a small and robust device for screening genetic mutations, reduced the size of antibodies to effectively target and penetrate solid tumours, and unveiled the process by which pathogens trigger a plant's immune system

As one of a series of events to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2008, Keio University hosted the APRU Doctoral Students Conference from Monday, 30 July to Friday, 3 August at its Mita Campus. The conference is one of the main activities of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities