Livestock like beef cows can suffer when grasslands, shrublands and savannas shift to a more tree-covered landscape and new research has put a number on this effect. Using computer models the authors show that for every 1 per cent increase in tree cover, the number of reproductive cows per square kilometre drops by about 2 […]
Category: Paper of Interest
Citizen scientists help find pieces of deep space stardust
Particles discovered by volunteers sifting through photos from NASA’s Stardust spacecraft are very likely dust from the vast space between stars, according to a new paper. The particles were collected by exposing a soft absorbent material called an aerogel to the vastness of space. When the spacecraft returned to earth, the aerogel was photographed under […]
Is it our fault that glaciers are retreating?
A new paper helps quantify how much of the global loss of glaciers can be attributed to human activity as opposed to natural variation in earth’s temperature. The study uses a mathematical model to compare the amount of glacier melt that would have been expected based on natural and man-made forcings to the actual amount. […]
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Public Health
A group of doctors has published an editorial raising concerns about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a trade agreement between Canada and eleven other Pacific Rim countries – and the effect it could have on the public health system. In particular the authors cite possible changes to intellectual property rules that could impact medications or […]
The missing link between ADHD, substance abuse and behaviour problems
Researchers have found that ADHD, substance abuse and conduct disorder develop from the same neurocognitive deficits, which in turn explains why they often occur together. Using personality and behavior tests coupled with fMRI brain scans on 1,778 European adolescents at age 14, they identified three neurocognitive dimensions in different part of the brains that were […]
Chilean earthquake wasn’t the one scientists expected
Scientists had long expected a major earthquake in the subduction zone adjacent to northern Chile, but the magnitude 8.2 earthquake that occurred on April 1, 2014 was not it, according to a new study. Stress along the fault had been building since the last major quake in the area occurred in 1877. However, an analysis […]
Terrifying airplane flight offers unique insight into PTSD
A terrifying near-accident on an airplane has offered new insight on how a person’s memory processes influence the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.) In 2001, Air Transat flight 236 nearly crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after running out of fuel; at the last minute the pilot was able to land safely on a small […]
Hand sanitizers in classrooms do not reduce school absences in children
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers in classrooms do not lead to reductions in the rate of school absences in children, a new study shows. The researchers conducted a randomized trial on 68 city primary schools (2443 children aged between 5-11 years old) in New Zealand. They found that the rate of absence was similar in the […]
New tools to explain genetic diversity in caribou
Maintaining healthy genetic diversity in caribou means ensuring that populations don’t become fragmented, but a new study underlines just how tricky this can be. Currently, caribou preserves are constructed without taking into account how the habitat needs of caribou change throughout the year; for example, land that is prime pasture in summer may be snow-covered […]
Physicists explain bizarre quantum behaviour of light
Physicists have explained the results of a 2012 experiment in which photons appeared to be simultaneously acting as a wave and a particle, something that should not happen according to quantum physics. The authors of the new paper show that photons can behave differently depending on what part of the ring they came from. This […]
Quantifying breast cancer risk to due gene mutation
Researchers have accurately quantified the risk of breast cancer due to a mutation of a known gene linked to the disease. The study tracked 362 people from families known to carry mutation of a gene called PALB2 which has been linked to breast cancer. Researches found that among those younger than 40, the risk of breast […]
Mercury is rising in the oceans
Mercury levels in the ocean have more than tripled in some regions as a result of human activity, a new study reports. Researchers measured mercury levels during several recent expeditions to the Atlantic, Pacific, Southern and Arctic oceans. The research team found that mercury content of surface water had three times the amount of mercury compared […]
Lighting the way for more tomatoes
Researchers have found a gene in a wild species of tomato that allows the plant to tolerate continuous light, potentially leading to a 20% yield increase in commercial varieties. One of the major limitations for crop productivity is the amount of light available each day but cultivated tomato plants often develop damaging leaf injuries when […]
Clot-busting drugs could be used more widely
A new study suggests that while administering clot-busting drugs as quickly as possible to stroke victims is important, they can help even when administered late or in high-risk groups. The study, which followed 6,700 stroke patients, found that those who received treatment with clot-busting drugs such as alteplase within 3 hours of the onset of […]
Sleep apnea not linked to cancer
People suffering from sleep apnea are not more likely to develop cancer, a new study shows. Sleep apnea is a common disorder where breathing stops for short periods of time during sleep; about 5 per cent of Canadian adults over 45 experience it. Previous reports had hinted that the low blood oxygen levels brought on […]
Exercise for diabetes: intensity matters
The positive effect of exercise on diabetes is well established, but new research suggests that alternating between high-intensity and low-intensity exercise is required for best results. Researchers examined control of blood sugar levels in three groups; one that did not exercise, one that did continuous low-intensity exercise, and one that alternated between high and low […]