Archived News for Research Sector Professionals
Lupus patients show more severe symptoms of the disease if their vitamin D levels are low, an Australian-first study has found.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which affects more than five million people worldwide, was found to be worse in vitamin D deficient SLE patients than in those with normal levels, in the study led by Professor Eric Morand, head of the Monash Lupus Clinic and Southern Clinical School at Monash Medical Centre.
The research also observed that Australians are more susceptible to the disease due to environmental, genetic and cultural factors, which contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
Professor Morand said although practicing sun avoidance is important for lupus patients, as sunlight can make aspects of the disease worse, this can lead to vitamin D deficiency and an increase in the severity of the disease.
“In multicultural Australia, instances of vitamin D deficiency can be seen in cultural groups where clothing covers the body, in people with dark skin tone who have lower absorption, and those who practice sun avoidance” Professor Morand said.
The findings will be presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association in Canberra.
The research involved five years of clinical data and blood sample collection from the Monash Lupus Clinic at Monash Medical Centre, the only lupus-dedicated clinic in Australia.
Plant diversity key to ecosystem stability
Losing even just a few plant species in diverse ecosystems could in the long term reduce biomass production and impair ecosystem sustainability say the authors of a new study published in the international journal, Science.
University of Adelaide studying hereditary risks of breast and ovarian cancer
Researchers from the University of Adelaide are hoping to better understand why the mutated genes for breast and ovarian cancer are not passed on more frequently from one generation of women to the next.
CSIRO shows continuing deep ocean change
The CSIRO has warned of drastic changes to volume of Antarctic Bottom Water, the cold dense water that drives global ocean currents, after releasing recent findings.
IP Australia launches online services
IP Australia has launched its online service, eServices, which provides a secure electronic business portal to register, login and conduct selected transactions.
In the first release of eServices customers can renew all IP rights and submit trade mark registrations electronically, and pay for them online using VISA or MasterCard. You can also access new features such as the option to save your requests, access your eServices transaction history and update your details.
The services and transactions within eServices have built-in checks and pre-populated fields to save time and help ensure the accuracy of the information.
Over the coming months IP Australia will be adding more transactions and services to the portal to make it a one-stop-shop to help in the management of IP assets.
MDBA announces science advisory committee
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences to advise the authority on key parts of its strategy.
New software to spell check gene sequences
A PHD student from the CSIRO and University of Queensland has developed a new software application that will allow greater accuracy in the ‘spell checking’ of genetic sequencing.
Bionic eye research facility launched at UNSW
The fabrication of implantable electronics has begun at the University of New South Wales ahead of planned patient tests of a functional bionic eye next year.
Medical bionics research program launched
The University of Wollongong’s newly appointed Australian Laureate Fellow Professor Gordon Wallace has launched a new $4.7 million medical bionics research program to develop ways to regenerate damaged nerves and muscles and ground-breaking brain implants for epilepsy patients.
Researchers call for open sharing of clinical trial data
Australian researchers are calling for the open sharing of clinical trial data in the medical research community, saying it would be instrumental in eliminating bottlenecks and duplication, and lead to faster and more trustworthy evidence for many of our most pressing health problems.
UOW enters research collaboration with India's CSIR
The University of Wollongong (UOW) and India’s industrial research and development organisation, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will work together to advance research collaborations and establish a dedicated CSIR Research and Development Centre at UOW’s Innovation Campus.
UQ alliance to boost radiopharmaceutical R&D
The Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) at The University of Queensland (UQ) has formed a strategic alliance with Axiom Molecular Pty Ltd to boost radiopharmaceutical research, development and commercialisation.
Axiom Molecular will use CAI facilities to produce Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis of cancer and brain disorders under the agreement facilitated by UniQuest, UQ's main commercialisation company.
Director of the CAI Professor David Reutens said Axiom Molecular will establish a specialised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory in the CAI.
"It will be a valuable addition to the capabilities in the state-of-the-art CAI building that is currently under construction. “
Nursing research centre launched
Australia’s first National Centre of Research Excellence in Nursing has been launched at Griffith University's South Bank campus.
Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian O'Connor, described nursing at Griffith University as a major teaching and research strength and said NCREN was a platform for the further development of clinical nursing research expertise in Australia.
More than 10,000 nurses have graduated from Griffith University.
NCREN has received $2.5 million funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council for an initial five-year program of research focused on skin integrity and symptom management.
Ten chief investigators, among them eight nurses, are leading the research which is building an unprecedented body of evidence to inform nursing practices into the future.
The centre is partnered with the Gold Coast, Princess Alexandra and Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospitals in southeast Queensland, and the partnerships have already also extended to the Prince Charles and Royal Children's hospitals in Brisbane.
CSIRO WLAN team finalists for European Inventor Award
The CSIRO team behind one of the biggest developments in recent wireless local area networking technology has been named a finalist in the European Inventor Award 2012.
Victoria announces $35 million in innovation spending
The Victorian Government has announced a $35 million innovation spending initiative in the State 2012-13 Budget.
Health researcher wins Humboldt Award
A Monash University researcher who is designing the next generation of medical implants using nanotechnology has been awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Award for the second time.
$1.86 million for threatened Victorian species
The Victorian Government has announced a $1.86 million research initiative to help strike a balance between the needs of the state’s threatened species and those of the timber industry.
Adolescents at greatest risk of premature death
Researchers from the Institute and the University of Melbourne are hoping to shape the future of adolescent health, by bringing into focus the risks and issues associated with this vulnerable age group.
Clinicians and researchers tackle obesity and diabetes
A new book produced by the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre has challenged existing approaches to diabetes and obesity treatments and presented a strategy with the potential to revolutionise the way our society approaches weight management.
CSIRO publishes water cycle findings
A team of scientists from the CSIRO and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from California has documented changing patterns of salinity in the global oceans over the past 50 years in a paper published in the journal Science.
CSIRO pushes for cheaper electronics
A group of leading Australian scientists have come together to further the development of lower-cost, flexible optoelectronic devices that promises to transform the country’s consumer electronics industry.