Researchers screening old drugs for new uses have found one that offers a previously untapped strategy for preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. Many antibiotics work by interfering with the bacterial ribosome, a kind of biochemical workshop where proteins and enzymes needed for the growth of the bacterium are produced. In this case, the team […]
Category: Paper of Interest
South Asians in Canada have higher risk of heart disease
Canadians of South Asian background are more at risk of heart disease and diabetes than white Canadians, a new review of literature reports. However, they are less likely to smoke and are less obese. More than one million Canadians whose ethnicity hails from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh live in Canada, comprising about […]
‘Upside-down’ water flows keep the Fraser Canyon steep
A new study shows water in certain stretches of the 542-kilometre Fraser Canyon in British Columbia is flowing ‘upside-down’, a discovery that helps explain why the canyon walls remain so steep. Researchers discovered that high velocity water flows down into deep pools and then upwells along the canyon walls, such that the water along the bottom flowing […]
How will climate change affect sugar maples?
A changing climate means trees will grow in new places, but an experiment with sugar maples shows that other factors – such as soil conditions or seed predation – need to be taken into account as well. Researchers grew maple seedlings on the slopes of a Quebec mountain where climate conditions are more favourable for […]
Lab-grown cells could help combat heart diseases
For the first time, researchers have grown a type of heart cell called an epicardial cell from stem cells in the lab, an accomplishment that could help in developing new treatments for heart disease. Epciardial cells form a protective membrane around the adult heart, and during fetal life provide a source of specialized structural cells […]
Microplastic pollution found in the St. Lawrence River
Concentrations of microplastic particles in the St. Lawrence are as high as has been observed in the world’s most contaminated marine sediments, a new study shows. This is also the first time such pollutants have been found in freshwater sediments. The authors dug up microplastics (in the form of polyethylene ‘microbeads’, <2 mm diameter) from the […]
Chemicals could help bee colonies fight mite infestations
Researchers have identified certain chemical compounds that could help fight infestations of the parasitic Varroa destructor mite, a major pest for beekeepers. The mites use smell to distinguish between different worker types in the bee colony, preferring younger ‘nurse’ bees over older foragers. The team found that treating the bees with certain chemical compounds confused […]
Climate change: cropland could expand in Canada
A new simulation of the impact of climate change on the supply of agricultural land shows that suitable cropland will expand in Canada, Russia, China and other countries in the high latitudes of the Northern hemisphere. On the other hand the authors project a significant loss of highly fertile cropland in the Mediterranean regions and […]
New technology could make our smartphones even smarter
Engineers have created a laser-written light-guiding systems that could embed the display glass of smartphones with layer upon layer of sensors. One example-system that the authors created is a temperature sensor that consists of one straight and one curved waveguide. When the glass heats up, it expands and changes the path length of the waveguides. […]
‘Stem cell factory’ could help treat blood disorders
Researchers have identified a molecule that causes the stem cells found in cord blood to multiply into more stem cells. Umbilical cord blood can be used to treat genetic and blood cell formation disorders, including leukemia, but the small number of blood stem cells in this kind of blood limits its widespread use. Researchers have […]
Chin strap device generates power from chewing
Researchers have created a device capable of harvesting the mechanical energy generated by chewing or talking. The device works via the piezoelectic effect, in which certain materials generate electricity when stretched or squeezed. In this case, the chin strap contains a strip of piezoelectric material made of electrodes that are embedded into plastic. Chewing gum […]
Got milk for your blood pressure?
Eating at least 2 portions of dairy products a day is linked to lower blood glucose and lower blood pressure according to a new study. Researchers asked a total of 254 healthy participants from the greater Quebec City metropolitan area to fill out a food frequency questionnaire and took blood samples from them. The study showed that […]
What really killed Richard III?
Modern forensic techniques provide a blow-by-blow account of the injuries sustained by England’s Richard III over 500 years ago. The remains of the last English monarch to die in battle were discovered under a car park in 2012 and confirmed by DNA analysis in 2013. The latest paper provides detailed analysis of the 11 wounds […]
Better care coordination, fewer emergency visits
Patients with chronic conditions other than mental illness are less likely to be admitted to hospital if their care is co-ordinated, a metanalysis shows. This review of the literature also shows that among the elderly, such strategies decreased emergency department use by 31 per cent. Care coordination happens when physicians stop being the sole care provider, […]
Tracing groundwater contamination above shale gas fields
A new study shows that methane leaks in drinking water wells around shale-gas wells in Pennsylvania and Texas come from failures in the integrity of gas well construction, and not from the drilling or hydraulic fracturing. The authors developed a new technique to look for the concentration of noble-gas isotopes in drinking-water samples to determine […]
‘Vegetative’ patient follows the plot of an Hitchcock movie
Some patients thought to be in a vegetative state can have conscious experiences similar to healthy people, a new study shows. Researchers used fMRI to record the brain activity of 2 brain-injured patients and 12 healthy participants while they watched a 8-minute clip of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. One of the brain-injured patients, a man […]