Bianca Nogrady

Sixth child dies from congenital syphilis in northern Australia

March 20, 2018No Comments

From the BMJ.com, 20 March 2018: Australia has recorded its sixth infant death from congenital syphilis, in a seven year long epidemic that has disproportionately impacted remote Aboriginal communities. The outbreak began in January 2011 in northwest Queensland, and over the following two years spread across to the Northern Territory, then to Western Australia, and … Continue reading Sixth child dies from congenital syphilis in northern Australia

Childhood obesity: A growing concern

March 13, 2018No Comments

From Nature Outlook, 22 November 2017: When a condition commonly associated with a lifetime of alcohol abuse — severe scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis — starts to show up in children as young as eight, something is very wrong. “I had a teenage patient, who wasn’t even being evaluated for liver disease but was … Continue reading Childhood obesity: A growing concern

Shy shellfish under scrutiny

March 13, 2018No Comments

From Fish magazine, December 2017: If the coastal marine environment was a cocktail party, Brownlip Abalone would be the guest dressed in a nondescript outfit trying desperately to blend in with the curtains. They are the archetypal shy, retiring creature, and there has been little research on the species since the 1980s. But a new … Continue reading Shy shellfish under scrutiny

Tagging study sheds light on the elusive Swordfish

March 13, 2018No Comments

From Fish magazine, September 2017: If there is a holy grail of recreational fishing, it’s the Swordfish. Anglers talk about it in almost mythical terms: the unicorn of the sea, the Mount Everest of angling, the ultimate test of man versus (marine) beast. Even its scientific name – Xiphias gladius – translates from ancient Greek … Continue reading Tagging study sheds light on the elusive Swordfish

Hormone discovery opens path for new pre-eclampsia treatment

March 13, 2018No Comments

From A*STAR Research Highlights, January 29, 2018 (not bylined): A hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy may play a key role in the development of pre-eclampsia; a major worldwide cause of maternal and fetal death. A*STAR researchers first discovered the hormone, called ELABELA, or ELA, in 2013 and showed, in zebrafish, that it was … Continue reading Hormone discovery opens path for new pre-eclampsia treatment

Fetal immune system developed, but tolerant

March 13, 2018No Comments

From A*STAR Research Highlights, December 19, 2017 (not bylined): The fetal immune system is fully developed and functional from as early as 16 weeks gestation, but has a mechanism to keep it suppressed until after birth, according to an A*STAR-led study. Their findings could shed light on the immunological mechanisms underlying fetal-maternal health problems such … Continue reading Fetal immune system developed, but tolerant

Making the unpalatable palatable

March 13, 2018No Comments

From A*STAR Research Highlights, August 25, 2017 (not bylined): Encapsulating the antioxidant quercetin in carnauba wax could mask its bitterness and enable its use in a wide range of food products, according to new research from Singapore. Quercetin is a type of plant pigment called a flavonoid, and is one of the most abundant antioxidants … Continue reading Making the unpalatable palatable

Talking science on Triple J with Linda Marigliano and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

March 9, 2018No Comments

In celebration of International Women’s Day, I got to join Dr Karl and astrophysicist Professor Tara Murphy in the Triple J studio with Linda Marigliano, and talk science with Triple J callers. We had questions coming in on everything from whether burning hydrocarbons in fossil fuels add water to the hydrosphere to why some people … Continue reading Talking science on Triple J with Linda Marigliano and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

Milky Way’s fast-moving galactic hypervelocity stars may have come from another galaxy

January 10, 2018No Comments

From ABC Science, 5 July 2017 The fastest-moving stars in our galaxy may have been shot off the bow of a passing smaller galaxy. These so-called “galactic hypervelocity stars” are large and short-lived but travel up to 1,000 kilometres per second. Strangely, most of them appear to be in an unusual cluster in the northern … Continue reading Milky Way’s fast-moving galactic hypervelocity stars may have come from another galaxy

Mammography screening’s benefits for breast cancer mortality questioned

December 11, 2017No Comments

From Oncology Practice, 5 December 2017: Twenty-four years’ worth of data from the Netherlands’ mammography screening program suggest that it has achieved only a marginal impact on breast cancer mortality, according to a paper published online Dec. 5 in the British Medical Journal. Researchers used data on the stage-specific incidence of breast cancer in the … Continue reading Mammography screening’s benefits for breast cancer mortality questioned