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When penguins ruled after dinosaurs died
Palaeontologia Electronica
What waddled on land but swam like kings in subtropical seas more than 60 million years ago, after the dinosaurs were wiped out on sea and land? Fossil records show giant human-sized penguins flew through Southern Hemisphere waters – alongside Read more about When penguins ruled after dinosaurs died - Scimex
Australia; New Zealand; SAFlinders University|University of Canterbury|Canterbury Museum... -
EXPERT REACTION: Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption
Tourists were present on White Island when its volcano erupted at 2.11pm Monday 9 December. Australians are believed to be among the dead and injured. A report from GeoNet duty volcanologist Geoff Kilgour states the short-lived eruption generated an Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption - Scimex
Australia -
Trump puts young US doctors in a bad mood
The BMJ
Major conservative wins in US politics, like the 2016 presidential election, put young US doctors in a bad mood, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ. Other politically conservative gains - like the Muslim travel ban and the appointment Read more about Trump puts young US doctors in a bad mood - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of Michigan, USA -
Spying on hippos with drones to help conservation efforts
PLoS ONE
A new UNSW study has shown that using a drone to film hippos in Africa is an effective, affordable tool for conservationists to monitor the threatened species’population from a safe distance, particularly in remote and aquatic areas. Funder: Read more about Spying on hippos with drones to help conservation efforts - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of New South Wales -
‘Junk DNA’ hides useful compounds
PNAS
Sifting through the genes of a grass fungus, New Zealand researchers have discovered a set of enzymes which produce bioactive compounds that may have medical or agricultural value. The genes were in a section of the fungus genome that was written Read more about ‘Junk DNA’ hides useful compounds - Scimex
New ZealandBio-Protection Research Centre -
Going, going... gone: West-Pacific glaciers
PNAS
The 5, 000-year-old glaciers near Puncak Jaya, Indonesia, are the only tropical glaciers in the West Pacific - and they are about melt away forever, warns an international team of researchers. Documenting the decline of the glaciers over the last Read more about Going, going... gone: West-Pacific glaciers - Scimex
InternationalIndonesia Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics -
‘Reverse racism’ beliefs not rife
Nature Human Behaviour
Do white people face greater discrimination than black people in America? Do white people think they face greater discrimination? The answer is ‘no’on both counts, according to new research which pours cold water on claims that perceptions of Read more about ‘Reverse racism’ beliefs not rife - Scimex
InternationalBrock University, Canada -
Higher BMI in kids linked to brain changes
JAMA Pediatrics
Kids aged 9 and 10 with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) - a measure of obesity - tend to have a thinner outer layer of the brain, known as the cortex, according to US research. In particular kids with higher BMIs tend to have a thinner prefrontal Read more about Higher BMI in kids linked to brain changes - Scimex
InternationalUniversity of Vermont, USA -
Glacier waters critical to life, but under threat
Nature
Mountain glaciers act as the world’s water towers, storing up and releasing water to billions of people. A new study has taken a stocktake of these water systems worldwide, including those in New Zealand. The researchers report that many are at Read more about Glacier waters critical to life, but under threat - Scimex
InternationalUtrecht University, The Netherlands -
James Bond-like tech sees blueprints encoded into plastic Bunny DNA
Nature Biotechnology
International researchers have found a way to store a 3D-printed bunny blueprint in synthetic DNA, a storage method they hope will one day replace traditional storage, like hard drives and magnetic tapes. The researchers encoded the blueprint into Read more about James Bond-like tech sees blueprints encoded into plastic Bunny DNA - Scimex
InternationalETH Zurich, Switzerland -
'Uncontested lands' could help Australia meet its Sustainable Development Goals
Nature Sustainability
Conservation and agriculture often clash over contested spaces and yet there are many 'uncontested lands', where low modern agricultural productivity and degradation make them potentially easier acquisitions that can be restored for long-term Read more about 'Uncontested lands' could help Australia meet its Sustainable Development Goals - Scimex
Australia; QLD; WAThe University of Queensland|The University of Western Australia -
Preventing US kids from importing measles back home
JAMA Pediatrics
The US is experiencing a resurgence of measles this year, but most outbreaks aren't homegrown - they start when people bring the disease back from overseas (including from NZ). US doctors say they can reduce these importations if they ensure Read more about Preventing US kids from importing measles back home - Scimex
InternationalTravelers’ Advice and Immunization Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA ; Boston University, USA -
EXPERT REACTION: Current GM food labels no longer fit for purpose - FSANZ report
Current definitions of 'food produced using gene technology’and ‘gene technology’in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code are not are no longer fit for purpose – they lack clarity, are outdated, and do not reflect the diversity of Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Current GM food labels no longer fit for purpose - FSANZ report - Scimex
Australia; New ZealandFood Standards Australia New Zealand -
HydroAtlas maps Earth’s river and catchment systems to enhance understanding and protection
Nature Scientific Data
Two friends from opposite ends of the Earth have created a high spatial resolution atlas that maps the environmental characteristics of all the globe's rivers and catchments. HydroATLAS assists researchers and practitioners - such as country Read more about HydroAtlas maps Earth’s river and catchment systems to enhance understanding and protection - Scimex
Australia; QLDGriffith University -
Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy boosts mums’ antibodies to protect babies
Vaccine
A Phase IV randomized, placebo-controlled multi-country study has confirmed the safety and immunogenicity of a single dose diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine in pregnant women. The studies showed the protective antibodies against Read more about Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy boosts mums’ antibodies to protect babies - Scimex
Australia; VICMurdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) -
Key risk factors for teenage suicide
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
New Australian research has found that young people who report suicidal thoughts and who also experience auditory hallucinations and psychological distress are at the greatest risk of future suicide attempts. Funder: Australian Research Council Read more about Key risk factors for teenage suicide - Scimex
Australia; QLDQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute|The University of Queensland... -
Essential oil poisoning on the rise
MJA
Poisoning by essential oil exposure is frequent and on the rise in Australia, with 63 per cent of cases occurring in children under 15, according to Australian research. The study of calls to the NSW Poisons Information Centre between 2011 and 2018 Read more about Essential oil poisoning on the rise - Scimex
Australia; NSWThe University of Sydney -
Christmas confetti killers: watch out for the sparkly stars
MJA
Celebrating the silly season with sparkly confetti stars might be fun, but researchers warn parents to keep an eye on their little ones this silly season, as the decorations can be a Christmassy choking hazard. In an MJA letter to the editor, the Read more about Christmas confetti killers: watch out for the sparkly stars - Scimex
Australia; QLDGold coast University Hospital; Queensland X-Ray, Gold Coast -
Have your health and eat meat too: Making a Mediterranean diet work Down Under
Nutrients
Barbecued, stir-fried or roasted, there’s no doubt that Aussies love their meat. Consuming on average nearly 100 kilograms of meat per person per year, Australians are among the top meat consumers worldwide. But with statistics showing that most Read more about Have your health and eat meat too: Making a Mediterranean diet work Down Under - Scimex
Australia; SAUniversity of South Australia -
Alcohol floor price linked to drop in hospital admissions for acute alcohol misuse
MJA
After an floor price was introduced in the Northern Territory, presentations for acute alcohol misuse at Alice Springs Hospital’s intensive care unit dropped more than half, according to Australian research. There was no significant decline in the Read more about Alcohol floor price linked to drop in hospital admissions for acute alcohol misuse - Scimex
Australia; VIC; SA; NTMonash University|South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)...