Sliding life expectancy poses gender, inequity questions

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0900 AEDT | 1100 NZDT

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Life expectancy gain is slowing in Australia – and figures show these figures are already sliding backwards in both the US and UK – yet little is being done by policy makers to understand specific gender and inequity reasons why this slip is Read more about Sliding life expectancy poses gender, inequity questions

Squid-inspired robot is a good swimmer

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0738 AEDT | 0938 NZDT

Engineers are increasingly looking to nature when designing robots and other machines. Traditional mechanical approaches to designing swimming robots are usually inefficient. Using the pulse-jet mode that squid and jellyfish use to propel themselves, Read more about Squid-inspired robot is a good swimmer

Leadership or luck? The influence of coaches, politicians and CEOs on performance

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0706 AEDT | 0906 NZDT

Science Advances

How much influence does luck - rather than effectiveness - play in leadership? Using a statistical method to assess whether differences in performance come down to leadership (or just luck or other factors beyond the leader’s control), researchers Read more about Leadership or luck? The influence of coaches, politicians and CEOs on performance

Salmonella's judo move - turning host metabolism to its advantage

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

Science

In an infection, there is a continual battle between the pathogen and the cells it's invading. An Israeli study finds that the bacterium Salmonella enterica can sense when cells it has infected are changing their metabolism as they prepare to Read more about Salmonella's judo move - turning host metabolism to its advantage

Spitting cobra venoms evolved to cause extreme pain

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

Science

Venom from spitting cobras has evolved as a form of self-defence, rather than for capturing prey, and is more effective at causing pain than venom from non-spitting snakes. Spitting cobra venoms evolved to cause extreme pain Venom from spitting Read more about Spitting cobra venoms evolved to cause extreme pain

Males are often the weaker sex when it comes to infectious diseases

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

Science

Males are more likely to have severe COVID-19 and die than females, and this difference between sexes is also seen in some other infectious diseases. While differences in behaviour may contribute, Yale researchers describe underlying physiological Read more about Males are often the weaker sex when it comes to infectious diseases

Fossils reveal ancient lives of giant predatory seaworms

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

Scientific Reports

In case you didn’t think the depths of the ocean was terrifying enough, researchers have found evidence of a giant ambush-predator worm that may have dwelled the seafloor of the Eurasian continent around 20 million years ago. International Read more about Fossils reveal ancient lives of giant predatory seaworms

Barriers preventing high-quality mental health care for children revealed

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jan 2021 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry

Fragmented services, long wait times and inadequate training are among the barriers preventing adolescents and children from receiving high-quality mental health care in Australia, according to clinicians in a new study. Fragmented services, long Read more about Barriers preventing high-quality mental health care for children revealed

Pioneering technique to fast-track pain research

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jan 2021 at 1730 AEDT | 1930 NZDT

Molecular Pain

Scientists have for the first time established a sensory neuron model able to mass-reproduce two key sensory neuron types involved in pain sensation, enabling the easy generation of large numbers of the cells to fast-track chronic pain research. Read more about Pioneering technique to fast-track pain research

Arthritis drug tocilizumab no better than standard care for severe COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jan 2021 at 1606 AEDT | 1806 NZDT

The BMJ

Adding the arthritis drug tocilizumab to standard care does not appear to improve clinical outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 at 15 days, according to a Brazilian trial which was stopped early due to an increase in the number of deaths in Read more about Arthritis drug tocilizumab no better than standard care for severe COVID-19