Hot Topics

NEWS BRIEFING: 1000 years of climate data confirms Australia’s warming

Thu May 17, 2012

ONLINE BRIEFING –  Thursday May 17, 12.30pm AEST In the first study of its kind in Australasia, scientists have used 27 natural climate records to create the first large-scale temperature reconstruction for the region, over the past 1000 years.

ROUND-UP: The risks and benefits of inducing labour (BMJ*) – expert responds

Thu May 10, 2012

EMBARGO LIFTED 8.30am AEST Friday 11 May, 2012 UK researchers report that inducing labour at more than 37 weeks of gestation reduces the rate of stillbirth or dying in the first month of a baby’s life, without increasing the rate of caesareans. However, inducing labour increased the number of babies admitted to neonatal intensive care [...]

ROUND-UP: Bisphenol A alters development of breast tissue in monkeys (PNAS*) – experts respond

Tue May 8, 2012

Embargo lifted 5am AEST Tue 8 May Research from the US shows exposure of pregnant rhesus monkeys to Bisphenol A (BPA) altered the developing mammary glands of their offspring. BPA is used in the manufacturing of various plastics and resins for food packaging and consumer products. BPA can act as an endocrine disruptor (a chemical [...]

ROUND-UP: Higher risk of birth defects from assisted reproduction (NEJM*) – experts respond

Fri May 4, 2012

 Embargo  lifted 8pm AEST Saturday May 5, 2012 Researchers from the University of Adelaide have compared the risk of major birth defects for each of the reproductive therapies commonly available internationally, including IVF. Below experts respond.

UK and Canadian SMC ROUNDUP: Influenza and biosecurity

Thu May 3, 2012

Embargo lifted at 3am AEST Thu 3 May Researchers have shown that the H5N1 ‘bird flu’ virus, which is highly dangerous but so far not easily spread between mammals ( including people), could easily acquire this ability. The researchers crossed the H5N1 strain with the pandemic H1N1 strain which swept the globe in 2009 and showed that [...]

RAPID REACTION: Koala protected under national environment law – experts comment

Mon Apr 30, 2012

Environment Minister Tony Burke announced his decision on Monday, April 30, 2012, to list koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory as vulnerable on the national list of threatened species.

ROUND-UP: Wind farms affect local temperature (Nature Climate Change*) – an expert responds

Fri Apr 27, 2012

Embargo lifted at 3am AEST Monday 30 April As wind farms spring up across the country in a bid to generate more renewable energy, new research from the US suggests that the wind farms themselves may be having a local warming effect on the climate.

ROUND-UP: Eating more berries may reduce cognitive decline in the elderly (Annals of Neurology*) – experts respond

Thu Apr 26, 2012

Embargo lifted at 14.00 AEST Thursday 26 April German and US researchers report that cognitive ageing could be delayed by up to 2.5 years in elderly people who eat greater amounts of blueberries and strawberries, flavonoid-rich berries.