ScienceWA

THE RISK of violent offending has been estimated to be several times higher in people with mental illness. The research highlights the role of substance abuse as a key risk factor for criminal offending, especially when co-occurring with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Image: Bossi Exploring this claim further, scientists from the University of Western Australia’s … Read more

They determined there was no significant difference between the two groups in how much their performance dwindled in response to the change in viewpoint, contrary to the argument that children are more affected by viewing angle than adults. Image: Haylee Sherwood A RECENT study has found that children are just as capable as adults at recognising faces … Read more

A UNIVERSITY of WA study has found the risk of heart disease is greater among teen girls who smoke or take the oral contraceptive pill (OC), compared to teen boys who smoke. We found that adolescent girls are vulnerable to the harmful effects of active and smoking exposure with regard to future cardiovascular disease risk” … Read more

BEATS and music may have negative effects on Alzheimer disease (AD) patients’ ability to walk, new research has found. Prof Hill says further research is required to explore possible benefits of further practice and exposure to RACs, especially for people with more advanced deterioration in executive function. Image: Terry Jones The findings, published in Archives of Physical … Read more

A RECENT report has revealed over-prescription of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication was occurring in WA throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. “If you want a quick way to calm children down, then ADHD drugs will do that”—Mr. Whitely. Image: Quijana Byrd In his report, ‘The rise and fall of ADHD child prescribing in Western Australia: … Read more

RECENT research has revealed unscientific and biased media coverage of water issues could be negatively impacting public engagement and understanding of water management measures. Research reveals only 14 per cent of articles presented factual information about water issues such as recycled water, desalinated water, drought, dam levels and water conservation. Image: Water Corp Through a content … Read more

In fact, anxiety may actually decrease stereotyping, as people’s brains work harder to avoid cognitive shortcuts, he says. iStock People under pressure prone to facial recognition mistakes Anxiety thought to decrease racial stereotyping as brains avoid cognitive shortcuts Stressed test participants were worse at recalling faces than at-ease participants WHILE people in a state of anxiety … Read more

AN AUSTRALIA-wide case-control study has found men who refuel their cars more than four times per month or use a closed wood heater before their child’s birth may increase the risk of their offspring developing brain tumours. The Telethon Kids Institute researchers hypothesised that increased exposure to these activities would be associated with an increased risk of … Read more

APPEALS to ‘save the planet’ may not be the most effective way of addressing climate change, as a new study linking beliefs and behaviours reveals most people are driven by cost and fashion rather than a desire to protect the environment. Two national CSIRO online surveys, canvassing 5,000 people in 2010 and 2011, assessed climate … Read more

CHILDHOOD is an important time for good TV viewing habits, as the amount watched could be crucial to reducing negative health effects during adulthood, according to a new study. The TV watching habits of nearly 2,500 individuals from childhood to adulthood, were studied by researchers from Curtin University’s Department of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science as … Read more

WE’RE pretty familiar with the notion that exercise is good for our health. But new WA research suggests that something as simple as encouraging the elderly to walk down a flight of stairs could help prevent cognitive decline, a precursor to diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Undertaking ‘eccentric’ exercise—where contracting muscles are lengthened rather … Read more

HIGH magnesium intake has been associated with reduced aggressive behaviour in WA adolescents, highlighting the importance of a magnesium-rich diet in emotional and behavioural health. While previous research has linked low dietary zinc and magnesium to increased anxiety and depressive behaviours in adults, Senior Research Officer at the Telethon Kids Institute, Dr Lucinda Black, says … Read more

NEUROLOGISTS studying WA’s first-ever seizure database have established that sleep deprivation is more likely to act as a trigger for people having seizures, rather than a provoked cause of epilepsy. Royal Perth Hospital neurologist and lead author Dr Nicholas Lawn says it is generally accepted that there is a link between sleep deprivation and seizures but what … Read more

WESTERN Australian researchers are bridging the gap in knowledge between the aging process and anti-cancer immune responses. “Immune dysfunction is not permanent and in fact can be restored to function similarly to a young immune system”—Dr Jackaman. Image: Luca The majority of cancers, particularly mesothelioma and lung cancer, develop in the aging population, where it is … Read more

A RECENT Perth-based study has shown new evidence that people with greater access to liquor outlets were more likely to consume harmful levels of alcohol and develop mental health disorders. “We found that the average number of standard drinks per day and the rate of harmful alcohol consumption increased for each additional alcohol outlet in … Read more

RESEARCH exploring open employment and the transition from school to adulthood for young adults with Down syndrome has won the ‘Three Minute Thesis’ (3MT) competition for an ECU Occupational Therapist. The research concluded that a young person functioning in activities of daily life (self care, communication, community skills) and good family support were associated with … Read more

UNIVERSITY of WA research has exposed the alarmingly high levels of alcohol television advertising screened during potential child viewing times, at odds with efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia. In a two month study, researchers from UWA, the University of Adelaide and the Cancer Council found that of the 2810 alcohol advertisements shown in … Read more

PERTH’S Somali-Australian community has played a key role in new research on the health impacts of khat (Catha edulis) leaves, chewed for their amphetamine-like stimulant effects. It contains the alkaloids cathine, norephedrine and cathinone (the principal psychoactive component), which are all structurally related to amphetamine. Image: eesti University of Queensland Associate Professor Heather Douglas, one of … Read more

A TEAM of researchers at Curtin University have found a substitute for insulin to help treat diabetes orally. “Our innovation is the development of a new chemical entity, a small drug molecule we have discovered and developed, that can be taken orally as a tablet to replace insulin per se.” —Professor Helmerhorst. Over 10 years, … Read more

Chromosome 21 linked to genetic factors for intellectual disability Gene responsible for the formation of neural circuits in the brain identified as likely candidate Potential to correct gene dosage imbalances and restore normal function in affected neural tissues INVESTIGATING the genetics of Down Syndrome has led WA researchers to find a new gene responsible for … Read more

ALMOST half of adults who are substance users show symptoms of an attention disorder and are more likely to have poorer treatment outcomes according to a multi-institutional international study. “The recommendations from our research in WA, is if you have someone who is in substance use treatment then it’s a good idea to screen them … Read more

BOTH Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of mothers with an alcohol-use disorder have the same risk of intellectual disability, a Curtin University study has found. Dr O’Leary says all children of mothers with an alcohol-related diagnosis have a three-fold increased risk of intellectual disability. Image: iStock The study, published in the journal of Developmental Medicine and … Read more

About us ScienceNetwork WA (SNWA) is an independent, not-for-profit, news website devoted to telling the public about science research and achievements happening in Western Australia. We write about all forms of science and scientists from the research, government and private industry sectors. On the website, we offer state-wide science event listings, regional science news and … Read more

HEALTH providers need to instil a culture of security when safeguarding their medical data to avoid becoming the weakest link in the national eHealth system, according to ECU researchers. Dr Johnstone says the health industry’s lack of attention to security makes developers less likely to include advanced security protocols into their products. Image: iStock Security … Read more

ABORIGINAL organisations in Fitzroy Valley have called for research into social, health and wellbeing issues associated with alcohol abuse. Paediatrician James Fitzpatrick is leading one investigation into Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in Fitzroy Valley children. “The effects of alcohol in pregnancy are the leading cause of environmental intellectual impairment worldwide,” Dr Fitzpatrick says. “The … Read more

A TEAM of UWA researchers have found they may be able to alter the club drug ‘ecstasy’ to kill certain types of blood cancers at the same time boosting the potency and reducing the psychoactivity. PhD student Michael Gandy, who worked on the project and Associate Professor Matthew Piggot. Image: Bob Blucat School of Biomedical, … Read more

THE Ear Science Institute of Australia (ESIA) is building software that will allow for remote mapping and analysis of cochlear implants. Under the software patients would be able to plug their implants into their computer and have them tested by audiologists in real time. Image: flickr alextitterton Patients currently need to visit the ESIA centre for … Read more

When corals all around the world suddenly turn a ghostly white, it is a warning sign that global climate change is happening right in front of our eyes. Coral reefs are extremely sensitive to heat stress and are therefore among those ecosystems that will be affected by global climate change first. A record-strength El Niño, … Read more

THE Australian Computer Society (ACS) WA branch recently announced the launch of Australia’s first two ACS Centres of Excellence, promising to open the West Australian ICT community to national and overseas interest. The two centres form part of the ACS professional development programme which include the ACS Centre of Excellence in Security, a partnership with … Read more

A TINY hearing device roughly the size and shape of an earbud will make it possible to select which parts of the outside world part become part of your earphone experience. Head of School of Electrical Engineering and Computing at Curtin, Professor Kevin Fynn and IQbuds project team leader Professor Sven Nordholm with the IQbuds. Rueben … Read more

Written by Aaron Fernandes WESTERN Australia looks set to host the country’s first ever power station utilising Solar Updraft Technology, with a project scheduled to get underway in the state’s Midwest. “This plant will provide a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way to generate baseload power for Western Australia…in an area with the highest solar radiation levels in … Read more

CSIRO scientists have highlighted concerns that chemicals produced by hydraulic fracturing could be affecting ground and surface waters. In a review published in the national science agency’s online Environmental Chemistry journal, researchers say fracking may be unlocking pollutants currently trapped safely in the ground and mixing them with substances injected by mining operations. Review author and … Read more

EXHAUST from pure canola oil biodiesel is more lethal for human epithelial cells than that from traditional diesel, new research contends. “They also have a higher specific surface area and thus higher capacity to absorb toxic compounds, and are able to penetrate into the respiratory system, to be retained in the lungs and penetrate into … Read more

Written by Kerry Faulkner The Kakadu plum produces powerful antioxidants to protect themselves from the harsh environment they grown in. Parks Australia WEST Australian researchers are confident the native Australian fruit Kakadu plum could provide the most powerful antioxidant treatment yet in combating Alzheimer’s disease.  Chair of Edith Cowan University’s Foundation of Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease, Ralph … Read more

The latest supercontinent, Pangea, (pictured) which existed roughly between 320 million years ago (Ma) and 170Ma broke up and created the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Ocean. Image: Dennis S Hurd THE possibility that Earth could have a supercontinent that would occupy two-thirds of the planet’s surface in a couple of hundred million years’ time is just one … Read more

NEW UWA research looking at the economic impacts of implementing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration methods into farming practices, is showing that these impacts may prove impractical for farmers. By modeling the cost of these practices researchers estimate the profit loss for each additional tonne of CO2 stored on the model farm was $80.00 which is … Read more

Nolia Ward with a feral cat that she has just hunted. Kate Crossing, Central Desert Native Title Services Gibson Desert Aborigines’ dietary preferences supported to target predator species Skinks, moles and bilbies thrive in Indigenous Protection Area Traditional knowledge aided endemic fauna tracking for Bush Blitz survey WA NATURE lovers daunted by the cost of electric … Read more

The JOIDES Resolution, one of the world’s largest research vessels will be travelling up the NW coast, drilling cores at different latitudes to piece together a full record of ancient conditions. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Research trip to inform future climate scenarios Scientists to drill 1km into coastal seabed for ancient life Historical sea level … Read more

A pressure-flaked Kimberley spear point, recovered from the Mount Behn excavation. Noel Tan AN ARCHAEOLOGIST dating Kimberley stone tools says the region’s most sophisticated stone technology, known as Kimberley points, appeared just 1,000 years ago. Australian National University PhD candidate Tim Maloney says these serrated stone points, used for spears, were probably an exclusively Kimberley product. He says … Read more

The Alternative Cosmology Group (ACG) meeting coincided with the commissioning of Europe’s Large Hadron Collider at CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland and University of WA physics professor John Hartnett attended the meeting. Although weird and wonderful alternatives to the big bang theory have been suggested, the Alternative Cosmology Group believes the most important thing is to … Read more

According to Caesar, more than a quarter of a million Helvetii were settled in the Swiss plateau before they decided to abandon their territory and invade Gaul in 58 BCE. Thomas Whitley AN INTERNATIONAL team is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) modelling to assess Julius Caesar’s account of his war with a Celtic tribe. According to … Read more

TRIBUTES have poured in from around the world to honour the man who has inspired generations of scientists across Australia and internationally. Emeritus Professor John de Laeter died in the early hours of Monday morning after a lifetime dedicated to science teaching, research and science advocacy. Prof. de Laeter achieved acclaim in many areas of science … Read more

Ground-edged axes like this one were found at a site near Windjana Gorge in the central Kimberley. Chris Langeluddecke PURPOSLEY sharpened or ‘retouched’ stone axes evolved in Australia thousands of years before they appeared in Europe according to researchers studying the south-east Asian archaeological record. They found 30,000-year-old flakes from ground-edged axes at a site near … Read more

RESEARCHERS from Curtin University and Beihang University in Beijing have come up with a new ‘third way’ to improve airplane boarding. Lead researcher Dr Tie-Qiao Tang said while modelling had previously been done on factors such as luggage congestion, routing, and takeoff runway scheduling, his study was the first to look at boarding. He said … Read more

UWA Professor Adrian Keating suggests some of the technology seen in the latest Marvel blockbuster, such as controlling the exoskeleton with simple thoughts, will be available in the near future. Marvel Studios Dust grain-sized robots could assimilate to create Iron Man’s retractable face mask Iron Man suit’s Achilles heel lies in having a powerful enough power … Read more

HIGHER intake of a western diet by 14-year-olds has been linked with diminished cognitive performance at age 17. Researchers found that participants with a western dietary pattern—characterised by high intakes of takeaway food, red and processed meat, soft drink, fried and refined food—scored lower in cognitive tasks, particularly those involving reaction time/psychomotor function, visual attention, … Read more

A SIGNIGICANT freshwater fish kill 15km west of Albany earlier this month has been attributed to a large bloom of blue-green algae affecting the waterway. Phytoplankton analysis of water samples taken from Marbellup Brook by the Department of Water confirmed the bloom was cyanobacteria Nodularia spumigena, a species common to waterways in the region Residents … Read more

ACCORDING to a sustainability expert, the Perth CBD has become a more ‘walkable’ city in the past 15 years, with a shift to living a more sustainable urban lifestyle. Curtin University Policy Institute (CUSP) lecturer Dr Anne Matan says these shifts are necessary for Perth to flourish, but come with added pressure on transport and … Read more

AND then there were three – all males, their blue-green chests and colourful fantails all that is left of Rottnest Island’s peacock population. Only three male peacocks remain after the female birds (peahens) were removed and euthanised late last year as part of an ongoing program to eradicate introduced species on the popular tourist island. … Read more

The Goldfields–Esperance region is a compelling example of Australia’s diverse and sometimes inhospitable landscape. Sandy beaches and rugged limestone cliffs greatly contrast the arid desert that extends north to meet the Northern Territory border. As WA’s largest region, over three times the size of Victoria, the Goldfields–Esperance is also sparsely populated; the towns of Kalgoorlie-Boulder … Read more

A NEW international study has found that Aboriginal women have a significantly higher rate of cervical cancer and dying from it than non-indigenous women in Australia. “These health inequalities lead to higher mortality among Indigenous people at a younger age and subsequently lead to a gap in life expectancy of about 12 years.”—Dr Shannon.   … Read more