Futurity.org » Monash University

‘Simple path’ from fish hips to 4-legged walk

Emily Walker-Monash — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:48:14 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — The evolution of the complex, weight-bearing hips of walking animals from the basic hips of fish was a much simpler process than previously thought, report researchers.

Tetrapods, or four-legged animals, first stepped onto land about 395 million years ago. This significant change was made possible by strong hipbones and a connection through the spine via an ilium—features that were not present in the fish ancestors of tetrapods.

Vaccinate mosquitoes to stop malaria?

Layne Cameron-Michigan State — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:37:42 +0000

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — Mosquitoes are deadly and efficient disease transmitters, but they also can be equally good at spreading a cure for diseases they transmit, such as malaria, new research suggests.

A study in the current issue of Science shows that the transmission of malaria via mosquitoes to humans can be interrupted by using a strain of the bacteria Wolbachia in the insects. In a sense, Wolbachia would act as a vaccine of sorts for mosquitoes that would protect them from malaria parasites.

Women: Hormone therapy won’t harm your head

Courtney Karayannis-Monash — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:41:44 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — Women do not suffer cognitive loss when taking hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause, a new study finds.

Researchers tested the treatment for six months in early postmenopausal women between the ages of 49 and 55 who had never used HRT E2D—a combination of hormones estradiol and drospirenone. The examined HRT’s effects on memory, language and concentration.

The treatment resulted in significant improvement in menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats, and sexual function, and it lowered blood pressure and weight in comparison to those who were treated with an identical placebo.

Nip mosquito-borne disease in the ‘bug’

David Scott-Melbourne — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:16:44 +0000

U. MELBOURNE (AUS) — Scientists report promising results from a new technique to introduce disease-blocking bacteria into mosquitoes in an effort to stop the spread of dengue, yellow fever, and possibly malaria.

When infected with the bacteria Wolbachia, mosquitoes are unable to spread viruses such as dengue, a disease that kills about 40,000 people each year with no vaccines or specific treatments currently available. However, the bacteria have been difficult to spread within the mosquito population because they reduce the mosquitoes’ ability to lay viable eggs.

Wolbachia bacteria strains live naturally inside up to 70 percent of all insects and are known to protect them against viral infection. Hoffmann first discovered the disease-blocking strain of Wolbachia in Australian fruit flies in 1988.

Science suggests that size does matter

Emily Walker-Monash — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:56:05 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — Asked to rate 3D, computer-generated male bodies, women in a new study preferred taller figures, as well as those with larger penises.

The study also shows that taller men with larger genitalia were considered more attractive than shorter men with larger genitalia.

The researchers showed the male bodies to 105 female participants with the images differing in height, body shape, and penis size, and asked them to assess the figures’ sexual attractiveness.

Predict mutants to create universal flu vaccine

Rebecca Scott-Melbourne — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:14:15 +0000

U. MELBOURNE / MONASH U. (AUS) — Researchers have found a way to predict and potentially stop the mutating cells of the influenza virus.

The finding may lead to a new universal influenza vaccine to better protect against both seasonal and pandemic outbreaks, says Katherine Kedzierska, the study’s senior author and an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne.

Gene allows plants to flip-flop reproduction

Emily Walker-Monash — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 20:16:34 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — Scientists have discovered a gene that regulates the transition between stages in land plants’ life cycles.

Professor John Bowman of the Monash University School of Biological Sciences says plants, in contrast to animals, take different forms in alternating generations—one with one set of genes and one with two sets.

Clinics in the hospital reduce lines in ER

Glynis Smalley-Monash — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:12:22 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — Putting general practice clinics in hospitals can reduce the wait in emergency departments by 19 percent, according to new research.

Researchers investigated waiting times in hospital emergency departments, comparing those where there are a number of emergency departments in a region with those where hospitals provide co-located genetical practice (GP) clinics.

Co-located GP clinics are special-purpose services located within a public hospital, near or adjacent to its emergency department. They provide acute, episodic primary care services such as medical consultation, fracture management, management of minor injury and trauma, and minor procedures on a walk-in basis.

To attract pollinating birds, flowers go red

Emily Walker-Monash — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:54:55 +0000

MONASH U. (AUS) — Flowers that once relied on insects for pollination have since changed their colors to be attractive to birds, biologists have discovered.

New research has shown that certain Australian native flowers have shifted away from using insects as pollinators and evolved their flower color to the red hues favored by birds.

Fairy-wren guys boast body size in song

Rebecca Scott-Melbourne — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:37:30 +0000

U. MELBOURNE (AUS) — Male fairy-wrens use the pitch of their songs to broadcast their body size, new research shows.

The study led by University of Melbourne researcher Michelle Hall, is the first to show that the larger the male fairy wren, the lower the pitch of his song.