Press releases

These papers give some perspectives on migrant women and the experience of Filipinas in Korea and the case of a Filipino community in Nagoya, Japan, the 3rd paper discusses issues of engaging with Filipinos abroad.

The December issue of Keio Journal of Medicine is now available online.

Both the US and Iran appear so consumed and focused on each other that they completely disregard the concerns of the states and people in the rest of the Gulf

Each day in the United States, as many as 87 to 103 babies are born with alcohol related defects; annually, an estimated $75 million to $9.7 billion is spent on the care of these infants. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy places the fetus at risk of developing FASD

Architecture and urbanism combined with rituals of civility and governance during the American colonization of the Philippines replaced hostile strategies in attaining native obedience to the colonial state.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include A synchrotron for neutral molecules, Nanocrystals used as dopants, Reinventing the wheel, For goodness sake, Gambling on consciousness, A tunnel that transfers lipids

Besides the finding that Filipinos are generally comfortable in communicating, a study confirms that in Filipino culture, communication is collectivistic, family-oriented, highly contextual, and hierarchical.

Despite the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), neither the Philippine government nor the CPP-NPA-NDF has been truly determined to respect human rights in the Philippines. The burden then lies in civil-society organizations and international political entities.

Archives and museums are distinct institutions that follow different standards principles and practices in managing their respective collections. However, many museums today, such as the UP Vargas Museum, have adopted archival procedures as well, thus, blurring the line between the two institutions.

TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world, is seeking nominations for its two prizes schemes, the TWAS Prizes and the Trieste Science Prize, both of which are aimed at honouring scientists living and working in the developing countries. The closing date for nominations for both awards is 31 March.

The influenza virus that killed about 50 million people worldwide around 90 years ago is also lethal in nonhuman primates, a study in this week's Nature reports. The results confirm that it was the virulence, associated with the virus itself, that made it so efficient in claiming young adult lives.

An unexpected link has been spotted between the Asian monsoon and a recently discovered oscillating pattern of sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean. Other newsworthy papers from Nature include Health studies - new for old and Magnetic make-over

Amongst the recommendations are on sharing of information and examples of best practise, investment in mapping and forecasting, protection of cultural and natural heritage, strategic and life-line infrastructure endangered by natural disasters, restraint in producing unvalidated maps and higher priority for early warning systems.

Nature Publishing Group (NPG), publisher of the world's most influential science journals, today announced the launch of Nature Education, a new venture to develop innovative educational resources and tools for science students and their professors.

A study on the memory of a group of Filipinos shows that a deeper level of processing, or semantic processing, in a person’s memory has a significant effect on explicit memory or the intentional recollection of past events or experiences.

There are three great powers in the modern world: the power of nation-states, of the international economy and of working people on whom all states, armies and corporations, ultimately depend. Many of the most important events in the modern world take place at the intersection where these three forces collide.

Summaries of newsworthy papers from Nature and the Nature Research Journals that will be published online on 14 January 2007. Sizing up stem cells, Maintaining immune regulation, and Getting things into cells with the aid of small molecules.

Nadia El-Awady, president of ASJA, explained that among the objectives of the new association will be the popularization of science among the general Arab public and the creation of a new generation of Arab youth that understands the role of science in the region’s development.

'Asia Media Report: A Crisis Within', a report on media trends in Asia produced and coordinated by IPS Asia-Pacific, is now off the press.

A comparative study of fine and coarse ambient aerosol samples between an industrial and commercial site and a less polluted site shows the significant effect of industrialization and commercialization on air quality in Metro Manila.

The accurate forecast of a cyclone’s track and intensity is of great importance to lessen the damage it may cause. Not all countries are financially capable to use global circulation models (GCM) in forecasting. Thus, an economical solution for improving the resolution of cyclone forecast is to nest a regional climate model within a global model.

Holograms have so far been considered as a contraption of the future. However, many studies today have made holography a reality. A potential holographic light source is the hydrogen Raman Shifter, a multi-wavelength pulsed coherent light source that is both compact and inexpensive.

Scientists wishing to store spent nuclear fuels inside specially designed ceramics may need to think again. The synthetic materials may not be as durable as was previously thought. Researchers use a new approach to determine nitrogen fixation rates in the world's oceans - with surprising results.

Toluene, a commonly abused toxic compound, is shown to stimulate dopamine release in specific regions of the rat brain known as drug reward pathways, according to research published online in Neuropsychopharmacology this week.

Caucasus Media Investigations Center has announced the winners of the competition on the subject “Child Abuse and Protection of Child Rights” within the project of “Development of Media Investigations in Caucasus” which is held by the support of Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation.

The Piala Seri Endon was conceived to discover and to provide a platform for support, recognition and encouragement of Malaysia’s batik-making talent. It is an annual event that is open only to Malaysians over 18 years of age, and is part of the Malaysia Batik - Crafted for the World movement.

The book of Andrew Kydd is about the role of trust and mistrust in international relations and the Cold War. Its basic assumption is that when states can trust each other, they can live at peace, provided that they are security seekers, uninterested in expansion for its own sake.

In a preliminary field survey to assess bat diversity and ecology in Malaysia, a team of Malaysian and US scientists found a total of 259 specimens representing at least 46 species with an additional 13 individuals yet to be identified to species level.

Astrophysics: Dark matter mapped, Cancer: Enzyme double act evades drug therapy – Nature, A new source of stem cells – Nature Biotechnology, Population-specific differences in gene expression – Nature Genetics

Join journalists and science communicators from around the world when we meet in Melbourne, Australia from 16 to 20 April 2007 to discuss the big issues facing science journalism.