Social health atlas of Australia
The University of Adelaide's Public Health Information Unit has just released an updated Social Health Atlas of Australia at www.publichealth.gov.auA range of statistical information is available on geographic variations across Australia, including death rates and their predictors, socioeconomic status and health risk factors.Interactive maps can ... 06-Jan-2009
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Humans eating frogs to extinction
The global trade in frog legs for human consumption is threatening their extinction, according to a new study by an international team including University of Adelaide researchers.
The researchers say the global pattern of harvesting and decline of wild populations of frogs appears to be following the same path set by overexploitation of the seas ... 21-Jan-2009
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Spray-on material may lead to cheaper solar panels
A new spray-on material that could make solar panels cheaper is to be developed in a joint research effort announced today by The Australian National University (ANU) and Spark Solar Australia.
As one of two new projects worth a combined $1.85 million, the spray-on project will focus on a new way to treat the surface of a solar cell, the core ... 21-Jan-2009
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Astronomy student unlocks secret to bizarre double pulsar
An astronomical software package developed by a Swinburne PhD student has helped astronomers pin down the secrets of a bizarre ‘double pulsar,’ opening up a range of new avenues for scientific discovery.
The double pulsar – the only known system where two pulsars roar around one another in orbit – was discovered in 2003. Since then, scientists ... 06-Feb-2009
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New: Bushfire expert available for comment
Professor Ross Bradstock is the Director of the Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires at the University of Wollongong.
His expertise is in fire science, fire ecology, climate change and risk management. Professor Bradstock can be contacted on (02) 4221 5531 (w) or 0419 269 130 (m).
See ... 20-Feb-2009
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Expert Alert: Bushfire aftermath
Stuart Ellis is director of Leading Emergency Services, and is an expert in bushfires, backburning, and the operational management of emergency situations.
Mr Ellis was CEO and Chief Officer of the Country Fire Service in South Australia for five years from 1996-2001. During that period he became Deputy President of the Australasian Fire ... 21-Feb-2009
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Social networking fears unfounded
Contrary to society’s worst fears social networking sites such as Facebook add to Australians’ social lives with only a minority of users experiencing harassment, research by Deakin University, Ipsos Australia and I-view has found.
In a study of 531 users of social networking sites, like Facebook, MSN, LinkIn, MySpace and Twitter, Associate ... 26-Feb-2009
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Experts for Queensland election campaign
The Queensland University of Technology has academics available for media comment during the state election campaign. These include:Professor Clive Bean
07 3138 4512 or c.bean@qut.edu.au
Professor Bean is a political scientist who heads QUT's humanities program and has teaching and research interests in the field of political behaviour - an area ... 01-Mar-2009
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Study casts doubt on expensive running shoes
Researchers at the University of Newcastle have found no scientific evidence to support claims that commonly recommended running shoes prevent injuries in runners.
Dr Craig Richards, Dr Parker Magin and Associate Professor Robin Callister analysed sports medicine literature for studies that investigated the ability of running shoes with elevated ... 13-Mar-2009
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Global warming spreads cane toads and other nasties
Curtin University of Technology ecosystems expert Associate Professor Grant Wardell-Johnson says the arrival of cane toads into WA highlights the bigger issue of the spread of introduced species as part of global warming.
“While the initial colonisation wave seems very scary, cane toads are only one of many species on the move,” Associate ... 15-Mar-2009
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Why red flowers are less likely to be eaten
The long-held scientific belief that flowers have evolved purely as a means of attracting birds and insects that will help them pollinate is being challenged by new research from experts at the Universities of Plymouth and Portsmouth and Curtin University of Technology, in Western Australia.
Naturalists, including Charles Darwin, have always ... 31-Mar-2009
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Workshop puts focus on the economic issues facing world economy
Leading International and Australian economists will
delve into and debate important economic issues confronting the world economy,
including the Global Financial Crisis, at the 14th Australasian Macroeconomics
Workshop (AMW2009).Head of the School of Accounting Economics and Finance,
Professor Mike Kidd, said the workshop, which will be held ... 08-Apr-2009
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Old bacteria give new clues to climate change
Some of the oldest examples of prehistoric bacteria of its kind in Australia have been discovered by an international research team.
Deakin University palaeontologists Professor Guang Shi and Dr Elizabeth A. Weldon were part of an international team that found the 268 million year-old bacteria on the coastline near Wollongong.
The bacteria was ... 27-Apr-2009
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Public urged to help track the flu
Australians are being urged to join a growing national survey tracking critical data on influenza infection that alerts medical officials to large outbreaks of the debilitating virus.
Flutracking.net, an initiative of researchers from the University of Newcastle and HunterNew England Health, aims to recruit at least 6,000 people to complete a 15 ... 28-Apr-2009
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Expert Alert: Criminology expert on anti-association laws
Expert Guide’s latest Expert
Alert podcast features leading Australian criminologist Professor Paul Wilson
of Bond University. Professor Wilson discussed
with Expert Guide the various ins and outs of the proposed laws for Queensland,
which were introduced earlier in the year to South Australia and New South
Wales. The proposed laws, ... 26-May-2009
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Researchers reveal new robot: a fish called WANDA
A robotic fish called WANDA with a camera that can seek out and ‘swim’ towards a particular object of interest is being revealed at the Actuators for Bionics and Biomimetics Symposium at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute tomorrow, Friday 29 May.
The Wireless Aquatic Navigator for Detection and Analysis is propelled by an active flexible ... 28-May-2009
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The rush to find new water sources for Australia
Can we better manage our precious water resources and strike a new, green deal for Australia by harvesting, recycling and sourcing new water supplies? Is this enough to get the State out of trouble?
Those questions and others will be discussed by four of Australia’s leading environmental thinkers at a public forum at the University of Adelaide ... 16-Jun-2009
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Oxford professor to discuss qantum future
Startling new perspectives on information and computation have opened up over the past two decades; stemming from developments in quantum computation and the insight that information is physical.
In this public lecture Professor Abramsky will explain how the methods and concepts of computer science can be used to recast the formalisms of Quantum ... 07-Jul-2009
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Report on role of practice nurses released today
A report to be released tomorrow will show that practice nurses could play an even bigger role in easing the strain on primary health care in Australia, but not enough doctors and policy makers recognise their pivotal role.
The Australian Practice Nurse Study explored the evolving role of the practice nurse and ways of driving change in general ... 07-Jul-2009
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Australia 'too lazy' for republic
A leading Australian authority on constitutional and public law will tell a Newcastle audience tonight (8/7/09) that Australia will not become a republic for at least 20 years because it is too lazy.
Professor Greg Craven – Vice-Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University and a noted lawyer, commentator and republican – will deliver the ... 08-Jul-2009
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Rio Tinto repeating Foster’s cultural mistakes in China
A repeat of Foster’s, Rio Tinto has fallen into the same trap in failing to recognise China’s unique culture in doing business and the importance relationships play in doing business in China, Deakin University’s business expert on China believes.
Dr Mona Chung, whose PhD and recent book “Shanghaied: Why Foster’s could not Survive China”, examined ... 17-Jul-2009
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HSC is making our kids sick
Many of our children are suffering anxiety, even depression, as a result of the pressure to succeed in their final years at high school, according to a Sydney psychotherapy expert.
Janine Rod, from Bondi Psychotherapy questioned why we spend thousands of dollars on high school education and even more on tutors and teaching aides, but fail to ... 31-Jul-2009
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New cancer study looks at impacts on families
Survivors of cancer and their family members are being sought for a new study into the difficult decisions patients and their families need to make in dealing with cancer.
The study, by the University of Adelaide, Cancer Council Australia and Cancer Voices Australia, hopes to provide information to enable better support of families and patients in ... 26-Aug-2009
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Moderate drinkers less likely to get dementia - research
People who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol in later life are less likely to develop dementia than people who abstain from alcohol consumption, a study from The Australian National University has found.
The meta-analysis analysed the outcomes of 15 research studies meeting rigorous scientific criteria exploring links between drinking and ... 27-Aug-2009
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To push or pull? Do women choose or consent to caesarian delivery?
The birth of a baby is always significant in the life of a family. But now, more than ever before, communities, health professionals, midwives, women’s groups and the media have become vocal on the issue of how this should occur.
As childbirth intervention rates spiral, to ‘push or pull’ has become a hotly debated question. Do we really ... 31-Aug-2009
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100 'random' Aussies in global climate talk
On 25 and
26 September, around 100 Australians will come together in Sydney for talks of
global significance in the quest for answers to climate change.
The group, selected randomly to reflect the diversity of the Australian
population, will be taking part in an event called “World Wide Views on Global
Warming”, being run in Australia by the ... 15-Sep-2009
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Komodo Dragon revealed as true blue
New scientific research reveals the world’s largest living lizard species, Indonesia’s Komodo dragon, most-likely evolved in Australia three to four million years ago.
Queensland Museum Senior Curator of Geosciences Scott Hocknull and colleagues from Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia authored the research paper released by PLoS ONE, challenging ... 01-Oct-2009
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Brain injury common for rugby players
A new Australian study published in the The American Journal of Sports Medicine has revealed the true effects of mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) among non-professional rugby players.
“Importantly, our research showed that non-professional rugby players have a high incidence of concussion. This is concerning for parents, schools and ... 04-Oct-2009
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Qld rain brings out spiders
South-east Queensland residents are urged to be on the look out for Funnel-web spiders following the first reports of the season recently.
Confirmed sightings of male Funnel-webs at Mt Tamborine in the Gold Coast hinterland and Mt Glorious west of Brisbane were reported to Dr Robert Raven, Senior Curator at the Queensland Museum.
Dr Raven said ... 05-Nov-2009
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World-first study into diabetes during pregnancy
A world-first research program across Victoria and South Australia aims to reduce the risk of pregnant women developing diabetes later in their life.
More than 10 per cent of women develop diabetes during their pregnancy and at least half of them will go on to develop Type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years.
The $3.29m project will introduce ... 13-Nov-2009
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Body image linked to stress - study
Stress plays a significant role in young people developing body image problems, but the causes of that stress are very different for males and females, according to research from The Australian National University being released as part of National Psychology Week.
The study by PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology Kristen Murray from the ... 14-Nov-2009
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Call for high salt warning on beef burger
The new Hungry Jack’s Double Angry Angus Burger contains 5.6g of salt – nearly one and a half times the recommended daily amount for adults, experts have been revealed.
Salt is a primary cause of high blood pressure, which is the leading cause of death across the world.
According to experts, it’s the hidden salt in many of our every day foods ... 24-Nov-2009
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Coffee and tea may protect against diabetes
Researchers at The George Institute have discovered that high consumption of coffee and tea is associated with a substantially reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Lead author, Associate Professor Rachel Huxley, The George Institute, says that people who consumed on average three to four cups of coffee a day had one-quarter lower risk of developing ... 15-Dec-2009
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Interest groups shut out in Copenhagen
Climate change activists and other interest groups campaigning for a global agreement on climate change are being shut out of Copenhagen negotiations as world leaders take centre stage this week according to one Australian delegate.
Leader of the University of Technology, Sydney’s delegation to the Copenhagen climate talks Ian McGregor ... 16-Dec-2009
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