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How is medicinal cannabis being used in Australia?
PLOS ONE
A survey of Aussies using medicinal cannabis has found that it is mostly being used for pain and mental health treatment. The study found that people using prescribed cannabis that mostly contained the 'high'-inducing active compound Read more about How is medicinal cannabis being used in Australia?
Australia; NSW; VICThe University of New South Wales|The University of Sydney... -
3100 year old 'Vittrup Man' switched from forager to farmer before being sacrificed
PLOS ONE
The life history of a 3,100-year-old skull has been mapped in detail, according to international and Aussie researchers, who found that the man known as 'Vittrup Man' moved from foraging to a farming lifestyle before being sacrificed in Denmark. The Read more about 3100 year old 'Vittrup Man' switched from forager to farmer before being sacrificed
Australia; WACurtin University -
Love and money the keys to mental health in Australia
PLOS ONE
Financial difficulties and relationship problems are key issues linked to poor mental health in Australia, according to Australian research. The team used data from a household income and labour study to compare the mental health of nearly 7,000 Read more about Love and money the keys to mental health in Australia
Australia; NSW; WACurtin University|The University of New South Wales... -
EXPERT REACTION: Smoking has a lasting effect on immunity
Nature
Smokers have a reduced ability to fight off diseases, even long after quitting, French researchers have found. They investigated the effects of 136 environmental factors on 1000 people, finding that smoking had the greatest influence on their Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Smoking has a lasting effect on immunity
New Zealand; InternationalInstitut Pasteur, France -
Major discovery points to more potent, durable RNA-based therapeutics
Nature
Australian scientists have made a major discovery that could underpin the next generation of RNA-based therapeutics, and lead to more potent and longer-lasting RNA-based drugs with an even wider array of potential uses. Australian scientists have Read more about Major discovery points to more potent, durable RNA-based therapeutics
Australia; VIC; SAPeter MacCallum Cancer Centre|University of South Australia -
Long Covid affects how people think
JAMA Network Open
A recent survey of US residents reveals that cognitive symptoms are a common struggle for people suffering from Long Covid. These symptoms include having trouble concentrating, issues with remembering (such as forgetting to take medicine or buy Read more about Long Covid affects how people think
InternationalWeill Cornell Medicine, USA -
You've heard of lab grown meat, are you ready for rice-grown beef?
Matter
International researchers have developed a beef-rice hybrid they say could be a protein-rich food of the future. The team says they took muscle and fat stem cells from cows, and transplanted them into grains of rice - because the porous nature of Read more about You've heard of lab grown meat, are you ready for rice-grown beef?
InternationalYonsei University, Republic of Korea -
Online images aren't keeping up when it comes to addressing gender bias
Nature
As we spend more time consuming images online and less time reading, international researchers say we could be exposing ourselves to greater gender bias. The team collected over a million images and billions of words across Google, Wikipedia and Read more about Online images aren't keeping up when it comes to addressing gender bias
InternationalUniversity of California, USA -
‘Beyond what’s possible’: new JWST observations unearth mysterious ancient galaxies
Nature
Our understanding of how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter could be completely upended, after new observations of a stellar population bigger than the Milky Way from more than 11 billion years ago that should not exist. Our understanding Read more about ‘Beyond what’s possible’: new JWST observations unearth mysterious ancient galaxies
Australia; International; VICSwinburne University of Technology -
Crunchtime for crash site data collection
Accident Analysis & Prevention
A new study into the police and hospital data recorded after major road accidents has given key insights into better management of traffic safety and public health strategies – particularly for the most vulnerable road users. Injury Studies Read more about Crunchtime for crash site data collection
Australia; QLD; SAFlinders University|Queensland University of Technology (QUT)... -
Barriers to young adults seeking help for eating disorders
Early Intervention in Psychiatry
With only one in four young adults seeking help for an eating disorder, a new study by Flinders University experts flags a number of problems preventing more people from using an effective early intervention service program available in the community Read more about Barriers to young adults seeking help for eating disorders
Australia; SAFlinders University -
Mnemonics beat repetition for remembering word lists
Royal Society Open Science
Need to remember a long list of words? International researchers say adults are likely to use and adjust mnemonics to help, and this strategy beats simply repeating the words over and over. A mnemonic is a pattern of words, letters, or ideas that Read more about Mnemonics beat repetition for remembering word lists
InternationalÅbo Akademi University, Finland -
When is an ant not an ant? When it is a spider
Biology Letters
Some spiders are just as good at looking like ants as other insects are, according to Aussie researchers, who found both ant-mimicking spiders and ant-mimicking insects had varying abilities to copy their anty cousins. Ants are well-armed, often Read more about When is an ant not an ant? When it is a spider
Australia; NSWMacquarie University|The University of New South Wales -
'You're such an ape!' Playful teasing seen in our primate cousins
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
US and German researchers say they have seen spontaneous playful teasing in four species of great apes. The team say they created a coding system that can identify when apes are being playful and teasing, and applied it to videos of apes in zoos. Read more about 'You're such an ape!' Playful teasing seen in our primate cousins
InternationalMax Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Germany -
Wētā use wood to cross the ocean and settle on sub-Antarctic islands
Royal Society Open Science
Tokoriro or cave wētā (also known as cave crickets) aren't only found in Aotearoa. More than 800 recognised species are found worldwide, including on subantarctic islands near New Zealand. To find out how these island wētā species are related Read more about Wētā use wood to cross the ocean and settle on sub-Antarctic islands
New Zealand; PacificUniversity of Otago|Massey University -
Cane toad vs. lung worm: An arms race to see who has a leg-up
Proceedings of the Royal Society B
The battle between cane toads and a parasitic lungworm is an evolutionary arms race, and at the invasion front, it's the lungworms that may have a leg-up. Cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1930s and they didn’t come alone. The toads Read more about Cane toad vs. lung worm: An arms race to see who has a leg-up
Australia; NSWMacquarie University|The University of New South Wales -
Why are women at higher risk of lung issues?
Thorax
A range of reproductive factors, including age when periods first start and early menopause, are linked to a heightened risk of COPD - the umbrella term for progressive lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties - according to Aussie and Read more about Why are women at higher risk of lung issues?
Australia; QLDThe University of Queensland -
Borderline personality disorder patients more likely to seek hospital care
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders
A new study by Flinders University has uncovered links between a patient’s initial diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, and their recurrent visits to hospital. The study investigated associations between patients with BPD and Read more about Borderline personality disorder patients more likely to seek hospital care
Australia; SAFlinders University|The University of Adelaide -
In a time of risk and opportunity, science is critical
The President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Chennupati Jagadish, said the Australian Government cannot build a stronger, more resilient nation with a stagnant research and development system that relies on decades-old settings. The Read more about In a time of risk and opportunity, science is critical
AustraliaAustralian Academy of Science -
Satellites unveil the size and nature of the world’s coral reefs
Cell Reports Sustainability
University of Queensland-led research has shown there is more coral reef area across the globe than previously thought, with detailed satellite mapping helping to conserve these vital ecosystems. The team, which included scientists from James Cook Read more about Satellites unveil the size and nature of the world’s coral reefs
Australia; International; QLDThe University of Queensland|James Cook University... -
Smells may evoke memories just as well even when depression is impacting recollections
JAMA Network Open
Smells have a way of triggering specific memories, and international researchers say their power may be just as strong even in people whose memory is impacted by depression. The researchers say major depressive disorder can impact memory recall, so Read more about Smells may evoke memories just as well even when depression is impacting recollections
InternationalUniversity of Pittsburgh, USA -
Children exposed to tobacco in the womb face higher risk of learning problems
JAMA Network Open
Children who were exposed to tobacco in the womb are more likely to have language and memory development problems as they grow up, according to international research. The researchers recruited a group of over 11,000 children aged 9-10 to do a Read more about Children exposed to tobacco in the womb face higher risk of learning problems
InternationalUniversity of Nebraska, USA -
Polar bears at risk of starvation due to climate change
Nature Communications
Climate change's effect on Arctic sea ice is forcing polar bears to find food on land, putting the apex predators at risk of starvation, say North American researchers. The team attached trackers to 20 polar bears to track their daily energy Read more about Polar bears at risk of starvation due to climate change
InternationalU. S. Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, USA