Long COVID symptoms reported in kids under 14

Publicly released: Thu 23 Jun 2022 at 1100 AEST | 1300 NZST

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health

National survey data from kids aged 0-14 years in Denmark has found that children who have received a COVID-19 diagnosis can experience symptoms of long COVID lasting at least two months. The study found that kids who had COVID-19 experienced at Read more about Long COVID symptoms reported in kids under 14

Depression best treated by nonpharmacological approaches in people living with dementia

Publicly released: Thu 23 Jun 2022 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

Ageing Research Reviews

This review and meta-analysis, published in Ageing Research Reviews, investigated a range of nonpharmacological approaches for symptoms of depression in dementia, with findings supporting a positive link between nonpharmacological approaches and Read more about Depression best treated by nonpharmacological approaches in people living with dementia

Hashtag plandemic - how COVID misinformation spread on twitter

Publicly released: Thu 23 Jun 2022 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

Social media became the home of an "infodemic" of misinformation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and international researchers have tracked how users with tweets using the hashtags "Scamdemic" and "Plandemic" contributed to the disinformation storm. Read more about Hashtag plandemic - how COVID misinformation spread on twitter

Hormones are linked with sleep apnea, snoring in postmenopausal women

Publicly released: Thu 23 Jun 2022 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

Middle-aged women with low levels of oestrogen and progesterone are more likely to snore and to report symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to international and Australian scientists. The researchers analysed data from 774 women aged 40 to Read more about Hormones are linked with sleep apnea, snoring in postmenopausal women

EXPERT REACTION: First quantum integrated circuit manufactured at the atomic scale

Publicly released: Thu 23 Jun 2022 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Nature

In a world first, Australian quantum computing manufacturer, Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC), has today announced they have developed a quantum computing chip that integrates all the necessary components found on a classical computer chip but at the Read more about EXPERT REACTION: First quantum integrated circuit manufactured at the atomic scale

Online classes during COVID lockdowns helped students' mental health

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 1701 AEST | 1901 NZST

Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports

Online classes during COVID lockdowns may have helped students' mental health according to a Japanese study. The researchers conducted anonymous surveys over one month in late 2020 at 21 junior and senior high schools in Japan. From 5,000 responses Read more about Online classes during COVID lockdowns helped students' mental health

Topological superconductors: fertile ground for elusive 'angel' particle

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 1400 AEST | 1600 NZST

Matter

A new University of Wollongong led review investigates the search for Majorana fermions in iron-based superconductors. The elusive Majorana fermion, or ‘angel particle’ simultaneously behaves like a particle and an antiparticle – and Read more about Topological superconductors: fertile ground for elusive 'angel' particle

Soil microbes return after replanting local native plants

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 1345 AEST | 1545 NZST

Biological Conservation

Robust long-term ecosystem restoration relies not just on replanting native vegetation but on the recovery of underlying soil biodiversity – yet this area has received little attention and is poorly understood, Flinders University researchers say. Read more about Soil microbes return after replanting local native plants

A simple tool to make websites more secure and curb cyber hacking

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 1000 AEST | 1200 NZST

2022 International Conference on Artificial Intelligence

Cybercrime cost the world $6 trillion in 2021, in many cases due to website vulnerabilities. Now, engineers from Australia, Pakistan and the UAE have developed a new tool to curb hacking and make websites more secure. An international team of Read more about A simple tool to make websites more secure and curb cyber hacking

Game-changing program to boost women in STEM taking shape

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0930 AEST | 1130 NZST

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) has today announced the appointment of 16 STEM champions from across the breadth of industry and academia to lead an Advisory Group for the $41. 2 million Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM Read more about Game-changing program to boost women in STEM taking shape

Could your activity tracker tell if you're about to develop COVID-19 symptoms?

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

BMJ Open

Wearable activity trackers combined with artificial intelligence (AI) could be used to pick up COVID-19 infection days before symptoms start, according to a small international study of 66 people. The findings were based o the AVA bracelet, a Read more about Could your activity tracker tell if you're about to develop COVID-19 symptoms?

Inability to stand on one leg later in life linked to near doubling of death risk

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

British Journal of Sports Medicine

The inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in mid to later life is linked to a near doubling in the risk of death from any cause within the next 10 years, according to an international and Australian study of 1702 participants aged 51–75. Read more about Inability to stand on one leg later in life linked to near doubling of death risk

The bacteria that cause typhoid fever are getting better at evading antibiotics

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

The Lancet Microbe

Antibiotic resistant bacteria that can cause typhoid fever and evade treatment are spreading across the globe, according to international research. Typhoid fever causes about 100,000 deaths a year globally and is usually treatable with antibiotics. Read more about The bacteria that cause typhoid fever are getting better at evading antibiotics

NZ’s true ethnic disparities in Covid vaccine coverage remain unclear

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

New Zealand researchers have delved into COVID-19 vaccine coverage by ethnicity, finding that different ways of calculating the population size of each ethnic group - i. e. the "denominator" - unevenly affects vaccine rates. The team looked at both Read more about NZ’s true ethnic disparities in Covid vaccine coverage remain unclear

Can salt move through ice on exoplanets to give life a chance?

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Nature Communications

Oceans on water-rich exoplanets may be enriched with electrolytes, including salts such as sodium chloride, according to international researchers, which is an important factor in the search for life. The team wanted to know if minerals could make Read more about Can salt move through ice on exoplanets to give life a chance?

The secret of cells could be in their yo-yo and gear-like tendencies

Publicly released: Wed 22 Jun 2022 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

Nature Communications

Cells, the most basic units of life that form all living organisms, have long guarded their secrets, but now an international team from the University of Sydney, ETH Zurich and the University of Basel has uncovered some of their secrets through the Read more about The secret of cells could be in their yo-yo and gear-like tendencies

‘Goldilocks’ treatment window could lead to cancer therapy without harmful side-effects

Publicly released: Tue 21 Jun 2022 at 1621 AEST | 1821 NZST

eLife

Researchers have developed a way to potentially reduce the toxic side-effects of a type of immunotherapy, in findings that could overcome the pioneering treatment’s biggest limitation. ‘Goldilocks’ treatment window could lead to cancer therapy Read more about ‘Goldilocks’ treatment window could lead to cancer therapy without harmful side-effects

Women 22% more likely to suffer with long COVID than men

Publicly released: Tue 21 Jun 2022 at 1401 AEST | 1601 NZST

Current Medical Research and Opinion

Women are 22% more likely to suffer from long COVID, according to an international review of current research, and will experience substantially different symptoms to men. The team conducted an analysis of 35 publications on long COVID, with data Read more about Women 22% more likely to suffer with long COVID than men

Mental health services underused in aged care

Publicly released: Tue 21 Jun 2022 at 1400 AEST | 1600 NZST

Australian Health Review

Less than 3% of people with mental health conditions living in Australian residential aged care facilities accessed government-subsidised mental health services, a new analysis from Flinders University and the South Australian Health and Medical Read more about Mental health services underused in aged care

Climate mystery during Earth’s worst mass extinction solved

Publicly released: Tue 21 Jun 2022 at 1216 AEST | 1416 NZST

Nature Communications

New Zealand scientists have found that the end-Permian mass extinction – where around 80% of marine species went extinct – was triggered by the decline of some of the simplest organisms in the ocean, like marine algae and sponges. These Read more about Climate mystery during Earth’s worst mass extinction solved