Fri Mar 16, 2012
U.S. scientists have been investigating whether prenatal exposure to mobile phone radiation has any impact on mice, though the authors caution that their findings may be difficult to translate to human risks. Female mice were exposed to an active mobile phone call throughout their pregnancy. The authors found that fetal exposure to mobile phone radiation [...]
Fri Mar 9, 2012
On March 11 last year a magnitude 9.0 (Mw) earthquake hit off the coast of Japan triggering a powerful tsunami and resulting in the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl. Over 15,000 people were confirmed dead as the tsunami inundated a total area of approximately 561 km2 (217 sq mi) in Japan. A series of [...]
Fri Mar 9, 2012
Embargo lifted 11am AEDT March 9, 2012 Swedish and American authors say a new technique involving the use of an artificial scaffold into which a patient’s own stem cells are inserted, turning it into a fully functional organ, could offer a potential solution to the donor shortage crisis. The review article is one of two [...]
Tue Mar 6, 2012
As flood waters continue to affect towns across NSW and Victoria, experts discuss the role of La Nina and how urban planning contributes to floods.
Fri Mar 2, 2012
Embargo lifted 21.00 hrs AEDT Thu 1 Mar US experts have found that taking high dose supplements of retinol, a form of vitamin A, may have a preventative role in melanoma among women. The researchers examined 69,635 men and women who were participants of the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort study to see whether dietary [...]
Thu Mar 1, 2012
Dutch researchers have trialled the first web-based therapeutic programme for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with positive results. The study, Fatigue In Teenagers on the interNET (FITNET)*, included 135 teenagers aged between 12-18 years with chronic fatigue syndrome and showed that using a web-based cognitive behavioural therapy programme is substantially more effective than usual [...]
Fri Feb 10, 2012
A research article suggests that acute cannabis consumption is associated with an increased risk of a motor vehicle crash, especially for fatal collisions. The authors state that this information could be used as the basis for campaigns against drug impaired driving, developing regional or national policies to control acute drug use while driving, and raising [...]
Sun Feb 5, 2012
A number of media outlets are reporting that scientists want to create designer babies with the DNA of three parents to prevent children inheriting life-threatening diseases. Here an independent expert responds.