When penguins ruled after dinosaurs died

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 1101 AEDT | 1301 NZDT

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

EXPERT REACTION: Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 1059 AEDT | 1259 NZDT

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

Trump puts young US doctors in a bad mood

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 1030 AEDT | 1230 NZDT

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

Spying on hippos with drones to help conservation efforts

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0900 AEDT | 1100 NZDT

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

‘Junk DNA’ hides useful compounds

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0800 AEDT | 1000 NZDT

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

Going, going... gone: West-Pacific glaciers

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0700 AEDT | 0900 NZDT

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

‘Reverse racism’ beliefs not rife

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

Higher BMI in kids linked to brain changes

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

Glacier waters critical to life, but under threat

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

James Bond-like tech sees blueprints encoded into plastic Bunny DNA

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

'Uncontested lands' could help Australia meet its Sustainable Development Goals

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

Preventing US kids from importing measles back home

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

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

EXPERT REACTION: Current GM food labels no longer fit for purpose - FSANZ report

Publicly released: Tue 10 Dec 2019 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

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

HydroAtlas maps Earth’s river and catchment systems to enhance understanding and protection

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 2100 AEDT | 2300 NZDT

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

Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy boosts mums’ antibodies to protect babies

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0900 AEDT | 1100 NZDT

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

Key risk factors for teenage suicide

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0101 AEDT | 0301 NZDT

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

Essential oil poisoning on the rise

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

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

Christmas confetti killers: watch out for the sparkly stars

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

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

Have your health and eat meat too: Making a Mediterranean diet work Down Under

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

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

Alcohol floor price linked to drop in hospital admissions for acute alcohol misuse

Publicly released: Mon 9 Dec 2019 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

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