Australia’s first elaphrosaur discovered in Victoria

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 1500 AEST | 1700 NZST

Gondwana Research

A chance discovery almost five years ago by a volunteer dinosaur digger near Cape Otway in Victoria unearthed a five-centimetre long bone that was identified at the Melbourne Museum as a vertebra. Swinburne palaeontologists have identified that Read more about Australia’s first elaphrosaur discovered in Victoria

New paper unlocks mysteries of megafauna extinction

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 1000 AEST | 1200 NZST

Nature Communications

Queensland Museum paleontologists have released findings on the extinction Australian megafauna that lived until 40,000 years ago in tropical northern Australia. The research team, led by Queensland Museum and included experts from Australian Read more about New paper unlocks mysteries of megafauna extinction

Victoria’s public transport workforce ready to revitalise

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0900 AEST | 1100 NZST

New research reveals Victoria’s public transport sector has an exciting opportunity to address emerging skills shortages through increasing the participation of women and young people. A nine-month collaborative project between the Rail Read more about Victoria’s public transport workforce ready to revitalise

Turning wine industry waste into premium products

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0900 AEST | 1100 NZST

The clean and green by-products of the Australian wine industry are ripe for upcycling, and that’s exactly what’s happening in a new initiative from Swisse Wellness, the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and Swinburne University Read more about Turning wine industry waste into premium products

‘Like looking for a needle in a haystack’: the global hunt to find key molecule to block COVID-19

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0800 AEST | 1000 NZST

A UniSA molecular biologist is working with a world leader in artificial intelligence-based drug discovery to help find a molecule that could prevent the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strain causing COVID-19 from infecting human cells. Read more about ‘Like looking for a needle in a haystack’: the global hunt to find key molecule to block COVID-19

Researchers call for science-informed regulation of psychoactive substances

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0500 AEST | 0700 NZST

Drug and Alcohol Review

A new commentary by NZ and Australian researchers has called for better regulation of alcohol, tobacco and non-medical cannabis. The authors compare regulations in Ontario, Canada, where all three drug classes are legal for adult use, with Read more about Researchers call for science-informed regulation of psychoactive substances

‘Dr Google’ is almost always wrong

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

MJA

Many people turn to ‘Dr Google’ to self-diagnose their health symptoms and seek medical advice, but online symptom checkers are only accurate about a third of the time, according to new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research published in the Read more about ‘Dr Google’ is almost always wrong

Hospital at Home is a growing trend in Aussie healthcare

Publicly released: Mon 18 May 2020 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

MJA

Care delivered as 'Hospital in the Home' is growing rapidly in Australia, with fewer hospital re-admissions and fewer deaths, according to Australian research. Hospital at Home involves providing patients with the skills, technologies, and support Read more about Hospital at Home is a growing trend in Aussie healthcare

Culture clash shows in rockshelter 'grafitti'

Publicly released: Sun 17 May 2020 at 2110 AEST | 2310 NZST

Australian Archaeology

A hidden Murray River rockshelter speaks volumes about local Aboriginal and European settlement in the Riverland, with symbols of conflict – including a swastika symbol – discovered in Aboriginal rock art. The engravings studied in 188 Read more about Culture clash shows in rockshelter 'grafitti'

Pandemic highlights e-health issues

Publicly released: Sun 17 May 2020 at 2030 AEST | 2230 NZST

Journal of the International Society for Telemedicine and EHealth

Misinformation and mistrust of Australia’s COVIDSafe app underlines the need for standards to scope, develop, assess and roll out e-health services, Flinders University digital health experts say. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need for Read more about Pandemic highlights e-health issues

Warming waters put anchovies at risk

Publicly released: Sat 16 May 2020 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

Science Advances

Loss of oxygen in the warming waters of the California Current System may force anchovies, and other fish species, to relocate. Combining observational datasets with ocean model simulations, the researchers demonstrated that oxygen fluctuations in Read more about Warming waters put anchovies at risk

Microalgae-gel patch heals wounds in mouse model of diabetes

Publicly released: Sat 16 May 2020 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

Science Advances

Scientists have developed a patch containing photosynthetic blue-green algae which can deliver oxygen to slow-healing wounds of mice with diabetes. Diabetic foot ulcers put patients at risk for amputation, but effective treatments for these chronic Read more about Microalgae-gel patch heals wounds in mouse model of diabetes

Light, fantastic: the path ahead for faster, smaller computer processors

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1900 AEST | 2100 NZST

Nature Communications

Photonic chips have huge potential for the future of computers and telecommunications. Australian and German physicists have now developed hybrid architecture to overcome some of the engineering hurdles facing this technology. Their results are Read more about Light, fantastic: the path ahead for faster, smaller computer processors

Each roaming pet cat kills 110 native animals per year on average

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1352 AEST | 1552 NZST

Wildlife Research

New research by the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program has quantified the impact of Australia’s pet cat population on wildlife at a national scale for the first time. The study found that collectively pet cats kill Read more about Each roaming pet cat kills 110 native animals per year on average

Healthcare inequity could hide another COVID-19 outbreak in NZ

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1330 AEST | 1530 NZST

Te Pūnaha Matatini researchers have modelled how COVID-19 could spread through different groups in the New Zealand population. The study, which has not yet been formally peer-reviewed, finds that Māori and Pacific communities may be at heightened Read more about Healthcare inequity could hide another COVID-19 outbreak in NZ

COVID-19: Arthritis drug may help patients breathe

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1210 AEST | 1410 NZST

Cell Host & Microbe

A small study by Greek researchers suggests a drug prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis could improve the lung function of people with severe COVID-19 infections. They say the drug, called anakinra, might have helped eight patients who also had a Read more about COVID-19: Arthritis drug may help patients breathe

Close relative of COVID-19 virus found in Chinese bats, suggests natural origin

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1200 AEST | 1400 NZST

Current Biology

Sorry conspiracy theorists, but it looks likely the new coronavirus probably evolved naturally. Chinese and Australian scientists have identified a bat coronavirus that is SARS-CoV-2's closest relative in some regions of its genetic code, and has Read more about Close relative of COVID-19 virus found in Chinese bats, suggests natural origin

Italy's COVID death counts 'substantially underestimate' actual deaths

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1126 AEST | 1326 NZST

The BMJ

Official COVID19 death counts are likely to be a “substantial underestimation” of the actual number of deaths from the disease, at least for some Italian regions, according to new research. The findings, from an Italian city severely affected by Read more about Italy's COVID death counts 'substantially underestimate' actual deaths

More evidence that the much hyped hydroxycholorquine doesn't work for COVID19

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1101 AEST | 1301 NZST

The BMJ

Two new clinical trials suggest that the much-hyped anti-inflammatory drug hydroxychloroquine should not routinely be used for patients with COVID19. A French study found that the drug does not significantly reduce admission to intensive care or Read more about More evidence that the much hyped hydroxycholorquine doesn't work for COVID19

Dogs with COVID19 probably caught it from their humans

Publicly released: Fri 15 May 2020 at 1045 AEST | 1245 NZST

Nature

The first two dogs reported to have coronavirus probably caught the infection from their owners, say researchers who also say it is unclear whether infected dogs can transmit the virus to other animals or back to humans. The researchers found that Read more about Dogs with COVID19 probably caught it from their humans