Press releases

Telecentres are being promoted as an answer to the problems of the digital divide as there are still large sections of society that do not enjoy access to ICTs and are therefore at risk of being excluded from the socio-economic benefits that such access brings. Telecentres have been springing up across developing Asia.

The Global COE Program aims to support the establishment of world-class education and research centers within Japanese universities with an eye to raising their competitiveness to the highest world level.

Pertanika is an international peer-reviewed leading journal in Malaysia which began publication in 1978. The journal publishes in three different areas- Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science (JTAS); Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology (JST); and Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (JSSH).

The Middle East Journal of Internal Medicine is a new peer-reviewed journal to meet the needs of physicians, scientists, policymakers, and the patients and communities they serve in the Middle-East. The Journal will begin publication, online, in Oct 2007.

Researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia have developed a molecular carrier for immunogenic peptides which can be used for the development of multicomponent vaccines, diagnostic reagents and the delivery of novel therapeutics or drugs

A tailor-made rubber capsule provides an alternative method for vitreous replacement, A gene involved in the development of gastric cancer has been identified, A large study of the Chinese population implies that psoriasis is caused by mutations in an immune-response gene and more

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Liquid mirror made for the Moon, Nitrification in the oceans — getting it right, Managing Amazonian rainforest regrowth, History of the Arctic Ocean and The rise of placental mammals

The Philippine Intellectual Property Office issued last March 9, 2007 the utility model patent for the “Seaweed-based Air Freshener Gel” of Dr. Nemesio Montaño and Ms. Banaag Glorioso-Lajera. This utility model uses seaweeds as base material instead of the usual base in air freshener gels, which is carrageenan.

Researchers in UiTM has found an innovative solution to the increasing amount of plastic waste, they turn it into a piece of art. Meanwhile another group of researchers have come up with a low cost method to manufacture the expensive but very useful ceramic membrane by using solid waste from the sanitary industry.

The author, John Taylor, under secretary of Treasury for International Affairs (2001-2005), was largely responsible for the creation of teams of "financial warriors" -- an international coalition of mostly anonymous experts from state agencies, international financial institutions and private businesses.

Today Nature Publishing Group (NPG) and partner organisations launch Nature Precedings http://precedings.nature.com, a free online service enabling researchers to rapidly share, discuss and cite early findings.

Have you ever heard of a town where the public phone booth was installed before people received water to their houses? This is the true story of the suffering from severe water shortage of the people of the Lebanese village of Tannoura in Rashaya Caza.

For IDRC, sharing the results of its research is a corporate imperative as much as a programming choice. Through this two-CD set, we extend the reach of our research programs and publications, including to regions of the world with low, unreliable, or nonexistent Internet access. Free copies available to order.

This book presents conceptual and methodological issues related to the use of participatory development communication to facilitate participation amongst stakeholders in a variety of natural resource management initiatives. Each chapter presents in-depth experiences from Asia and Africa.

Political, economic, and social change can allow research to inform change. IDRC shares its experience in eight countries - Algeria, Burma, Cambodia, Kenya, South Africa, the Southern Cone, Vietnam, and the West Bank and Gaza.

The recommendations from the International Roundtable on Lightning Protection include designing protective devices suitable to local conditions, more research in high frequency earthing systems and protection technologies, country wide networked lighting detection system and an International Institute for Lighting Protection and Safety.

New neurodegenerative mouse mutant, Optimizing calcium detection, International survey of human embryonic stem cell lines, Genetic engineering boosts biofuel yield from alfalfa, Genome sequences of Leishmania parasites, Empathy: A touching experience, Dialling down ‘natural’ antibody production, Fish tumours visualized by ultrasound

Two genes have been identified that are essential to the reproduction of the hepatitis B virus and are therefore potential targets for novel anti-HBV drugs, A flowering-plant fossil tells us about the origin of the first flowers on Earth, Catalytic carbon nanotube reactors boost ethanol production and more

Japanese learners of English have suffered from an inability to become competent communicators despite their large vocabulary and good grammar. This paper details an approach used to overcome this. The 2nd paper is on a project which puts into practice the principles underlying vocabulary learning.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Saturn’s magnetosphere gets the Cassini treatment, Transients in the sky: Stellar puzzle, Why cold is such a pain, Human carbon footprint leaves a lasting mark on forests, Water on Mars revisited and The eyes have it

ICT is used in almost all phases of the disaster management process. In the disaster mitigation and preparedness process, ICT is widely used to create early warning systems. This APDIP publication gives examples of its use in disaster management.

This publication, with a foreword by Executive Director of UNIFEM, Noeleen Heyzer, looks at information and communications technology (ICT) for development through a gender lens and discusses ICT within a gender equality framework.

The remains of a gigantic, surprisingly bird-like dinosaur have been uncovered in Inner Mongolia, China.

Genetic variants predisposing to celiac disease, Regulating insensitivity to DNA damage, Getting specific with miRNA production, Following mitochondria in mouse neurons and Recombinant RNA

Sarawak, Malaysia - Unimas (University Malaysia Sarawak) will collaborate with European and South-East Asian Partners to develop the Computerized Automative Technology Reconfiguration System for Mass Customization (CATER).

Serdang, Malaysia - Australia's University of Newcastle and UPM explore cooperation avenues.

Serdang, Malaysia - The main aim of the MOU includes promoting staff exchange programme, industry training for students, research collaboration, external examiner exchange and others.

An exciting new program just launched in Asia is encouraging some of the world’s best and brightest young scientists to consider careers helping developing nations, instead of taking jobs focused on the developed world.

Potential drug for atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes, DNA damage contributes to stem cell ageing, MicroRNAs and tumour suppression, Hurricanes: Back to normal?, Evolution: It’s all so predictable and finally Fishy genome swims into view

This is a book that provides a detailed account of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine -- better known as Hamas -- from a Hamas perspective.