Australia and more than half of the world set to miss chronic disease targets

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

The Lancet

Australia, along with more than half of all countries in the world, is predicted to fail to reach the WHO target to reduce premature deaths from cancers, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes by 2030, according to a new Read more about Australia and more than half of the world set to miss chronic disease targets - Scimex

Mapping the US drug overdose epidemic

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0800 AEST | 1000 NZST

Science

Better understanding of the dynamics of the current US overdose epidemic may help in the development of more effective prevention and control strategies, say authors of a new study. The US authors mapped nearly 600, 000 deaths from unintentional Read more about Mapping the US drug overdose epidemic - Scimex

Preventing a dengue outbreak at the Olympics

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

In 2014, Tokyo had an unexpected outbreak of dengue fever, which has led researchers to investigate how to prevent another outbreak during the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. By putting Japan's current preparedness plans through a Read more about Preventing a dengue outbreak at the Olympics - Scimex

Researchers find Holy Grail of palaeontology – 558 million-year-old fat reveals earliest known animal

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

Science

Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and overseas have discovered molecules of fat in an ancient fossil to reveal the earliest confirmed animal in the geological record that lived on Earth 558 million years ago. Media Release. Read more about Researchers find Holy Grail of palaeontology – 558 million-year-old fat reveals earliest known animal - Scimex

Science under scrutiny

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0300 AEST | 0500 NZST

Science

Climb atop shoulders and wait for superstar researchers to die. That, suggested Isaac Newton and then Max Planck, is how science advances (more or less). Einstein was of the view that: “A person who has not made his great contribution to science Read more about Science under scrutiny - Scimex

Kiwifruit doubled its vitamin C genes twice

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

iScience

Our beloved kiwifruit has about the same vitamin C as an orange, which Chinese researchers have traced back to two separate evolutionary events that allowed the fruit's ancestors to spontaneously double its DNA. The two events – about 50-57 Read more about Kiwifruit doubled its vitamin C genes twice - Scimex

Why are we generous? Because sharing is catching

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Current Biology

Why are we such a cooperative bunch, even though there's frequently nothing in it for us? It may be because sharing is contagious, according to a six-year study of the Hadza hunter-gatherer people in Tanzania by US and Tanzanian researchers. They Read more about Why are we generous? Because sharing is catching - Scimex

The cloud of chemicals and microbes that we live in

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Cell

All the chemicals and microbes that invade our personal space have been tracked by US scientists. For two years, the scientists used a wearable air monitoring device to collected data from 15 people who travelled the globe, including trips to Read more about The cloud of chemicals and microbes that we live in - Scimex

Scientists gave octopuses ecstasy and they started hugging

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Current Biology

In a classic "who funded this?" study, US scientists gave MDMA to a species of solitary, asocial octopus and watched the critters get all touchy-feely with one another. The loved-up cephalopods spent more time interacting and even made extensive Read more about Scientists gave octopuses ecstasy and they started hugging - Scimex

Who did my surgery?

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

New Zealand Medical Journal

In teaching hospitals, it's common for trainee surgeons to be involved in surgeries, which could range from assisting a senior surgeon to performing procedures themselves. A survey of 160 patients found the majority agreed it was important they knew Read more about Who did my surgery? - Scimex

Call for early drug warning system to include new compounds

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

New Zealand Medical Journal

An early warning system for drugs should attempt to identify new psychoactive compounds, write two researchers in the New Zealand Medical Journal. Up to 45 people are thought to have died in relation to synthetic cannabinoids in the past year, Read more about Call for early drug warning system to include new compounds - Scimex

Tobacco retailers may support specialist stores

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

New Zealand Medical Journal

Early findings from a survey of Auckland dairy owners suggest they may be on board with legislation that would only permit the sale of tobacco from specialist, tobacco-only stores. The dairy owners expressed an unwillingness to stop selling tobacco Read more about Tobacco retailers may support specialist stores - Scimex

Today's adolescents less fit than their parents were

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

New Zealand Medical Journal

Data from the Dunedin Study suggests today's adolescents are less fit and weigh more than their parents did at the same age, which the researchers say might indicate a higher burden of non-communicable disease in the current generation. An Read more about Today's adolescents less fit than their parents were - Scimex

Quick and not-so-dirty: a rapid nano-filter for clean water

Publicly released: Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

Advanced Functional Materials

Researchers have designed a rapid nano-filter that can clean dirty water over 100 times faster than current technology. Simple to make and simple to scale up, the technology harnesses naturally occurring nano-structures that grow on liquid metals. Read more about Quick and not-so-dirty: a rapid nano-filter for clean water - Scimex

Hey baby! Pandas can tell a potential mate from their bleats

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 2300 AEST | Fri 21 Sep 2018 at 0100 NZST

Scientific Reports

Giant pandas spend their mostly solitary lives in dense bamboo thickets, and international researchers say that the iconic Chinese animals can identify who is nearby, and whether they could be a potential mate, by their bleats. Using recordings of Read more about Hey baby! Pandas can tell a potential mate from their bleats - Scimex

Mass graveyard of mummifed penguins shows how deadly climate can be

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 1223 AEST | 1423 NZST

Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences

A 200 year old graveyard full of mummified penguin bodies has been found in East Antarctica by Australian and Chinese scientists. The researchers say it is likely the mass deaths were linked to two massive weather-related calamities that could Read more about Mass graveyard of mummifed penguins shows how deadly climate can be - Scimex

World-first major desalination field study finds minimal marine impact

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 1201 AEST | 1401 NZST

Water Research

Highly saline flows from the Sydney Desalination Plant will not affect surrounding marine life as commonly believed, a major new study led by UNSW Sydney shows. Media Release. From:The University of New South Wales. The results of a world-first Read more about World-first major desalination field study finds minimal marine impact - Scimex

Reef-building coral establishing off Tasmania as waters warm

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 1130 AEST | 1330 NZST

Coral Reefs

IMAS researchers investigating Australia’ s southernmost coral-dominated reefs off north eastern Tasmania have attributed their presence so far south to warming waters and associated increases in sea urchins. Media Release. From:Institute for Read more about Reef-building coral establishing off Tasmania as waters warm - Scimex

Anti-cancer drugs may hold key to overcoming antimalarial drug resistance

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 0930 AEST | 1130 NZST

Nature Communications

Scientists have found a way to boost the efficacy of the world’ s most powerful antimalarial drug with the help of chemotherapy medicines. Scientists from the University of Melbourne and the Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda have discovered Read more about Anti-cancer drugs may hold key to overcoming antimalarial drug resistance - Scimex

Call to ban energy drink sales to kids

Publicly released: Thu 20 Sep 2018 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

The BMJ

The President of the UK Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has called for a legal ban on the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to children and young people in England, in an effort to tackle the "twin epidemics of obesity and mental Read more about Call to ban energy drink sales to kids - Scimex