Health: University discovers
immunity breakthrough
An Australian university has found a mechanism to turn
off an autoimmune disease once it has started.
The work, published this week in the journal Immunity,
provides a possible basis for a vaccine against diseases
such as rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile diabetes.
Dr Ranjeny Thomas, the director of the centre at the
University of Queensland that discovered the mechanism,
said the discovery would allow the immune system to
be "re-educated" to suppress an exiting response.
Dr Thomas' team discovered the mechanism while working
on dendritic cells, which are antigen-presenting cells
that can prime the immune response.
The team was able to turn off a key molecule in the
dendritic cell that feeds through to the T-cell immune
cell.
<< top >>
Education: School of Air goes visual
Australia's unique School of the Air, a radio-based
school for outback students, began video lessons this
week.
The school has been providing lessons through high
frequency radio to students on remote stations throughout
the outback for 51 years.
Based in Alice Springs, in the centre of the country,
the new video equipment means students are now able
to see their teachers explain hard concepts.
The technology will at first be able to reach 3000
students in remote parts of New South Wales and the
Northern Territory and will later be expanded to cover
the entire outback and top end of Australia.
Besides being able to see their teachers, students
will also be able to access lessons outside of school
hours.
<< top >>
Technology: IT Worker Shortage
The Australian IT sector has identified a shortage of
skilled professionals as local workers aren't adding
up and skilled immigration has begun to slow.
The director of a local IT recruiting company said
this week that Australian companies were looking for
staff experienced in .NET, J2EE and wireless technology.
The department of Immigration said the number of skilled
IT workers permanently immigrating to Australia had
dropped from 43 per cent of all immigrants to 30 per
cent in the past six months.
Lower pay rates is one of the factors contributing
to the shortage of people seeking to work in the Australian
IT sector.
The Australian Computer Society president, Richard
Hogg, said many foreign professionals were being recruited
through 4-year temporary visas and therefore the Australian
workforce was not retaining their skills and knowledge.
<< top >>
Big Business: Batter Up
While most of Australia watched as their cricket
team crushed a dispirited English side in the blazing
summer sun, the back room and boardrooms were abuzz
with news of another ballgame - baseball.
Australia was the first to know that its wealthy son,
Rupert Murdock, was quietly looking for a buyer for
the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Murdoch's News Corp is reportedly looking to offload
the US team for US$ 400 million in order to generate
cash to expand its global satellite TV operation.
Despite a few successful seasons, the baseball club
has been losing money since News Corp bought it in 1997
for a record $310 million.
Murdoch wants to use the money to buy DirecTV from
General Motors in order to consolidate his media stable.
<< top >>
Small Business: Chook Leather
A University of Queensland lecturer wants to market
chicken skins as an alternative to other leathers used
in the craft industry.
Dr. John Dingle says a yearlong study found that a
viable market could be established for leather from
laying chooks - the Aussie term for chickens.
He said the leather had the look and feel of chamois,
and could be used for steering wheel covers, key chains
and other craft items - any place that ostrich or emu
leather is now used.
"The study showed that even if only half a chicken's
skin was of high enough quality for the leather industry,
egg-producers could still get one dollar a chicken,
30 cents more than they receive at present," Dingle
said.
<< top >>
|
