A new study indicates that daily injections of a blood thinner does not effectively decrease the risk of pregnancy complications in women with a tendency to develop blood clots. A large-scale, randomized trial was never conducted and until now it’s effectiveness has been unknown. The new study followed 292 women over 12 years and […]
Category: Paper of Interest
Bacteria present in semen linked to HIV transmission
A new study has found that the diversity and number of bacteria in semen are connected with the level of HIV virus and thus the risk of transmission. While bacteria are common in semen, the study found that HIV-infected men who have sex with men have lower bacterial diversity than uninfected controls. They also found […]
Small populations have more diversity than previously thought
Populations of trout living in streams with a small number of breeding adults still have enough genetic variation to be able to adapt to environmental changes according to a new study. Researchers found that streams with as few as 70 adults had more genetic variation than expected. Such variation provides a greater ability to adapt to environmental changes. […]
Mixed genes lead to mixed migration
A new study indicates that genetics can have a strong influence on bird migration patterns. Using geolocators strapped to the backs of Swainson’s thrushes researchers were able to map the birds’ migration from British Columbia to South and Central America each year. As expected birds of one population chose one route, while birds of another population chose another. However hybrid […]
Overestimation of Antarctic sea ice expansion
A new study says that the measured expansion of sea ice in the Antarctic may be due to an error in the way satellite data is processed as recent observations show the ice is actually retreating. Comparing past and present datasets revealed a difference between the two records. The current data shows much faster sea ice expansion […]
Blood changes in monkeys near Fukushima
Wild Japanese monkeys inhabiting a forest located 70 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant have lower blood cell counts than monkeys from Northern Japan, a new study finds. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was badly damaged by a tsunami in March 2011. Red and white blood cell count were lower in the Fukushima monkeys. […]
Tyrannosaurs travelled together
Well-preserved fossil footprints provide the first trackway evidence that Tyrannosaurs may have travelled in packs. The footprints were found in rocks from northeastern British Columbia and show three Tyrannosaurs travelling in the same direction at the same time, relatively close together. Until now, the evidence for the pack-like nature of Tyrannosaurs relied on the proximity […]
Captive population of giant pandas is healthy
The population of captive giant pandas in China is genetically healthy, a new study shows. Researchers have observed high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding in pandas living in four Chinese breeding centres. The researchers came to their conclusion after analayzing 240 pandas out of 341 that are kept in captivity. The authors hope […]
Moose spit de-toxifies plants
Moose and reindeer saliva may inhibit the growth of a toxic fungus that lives inside the grass known as red fescue. The researchers collected saliva from moose and reindeer from Canadian zoos, then applied it to grass that contained the toxic fungus. Their results showed that fungus grew more slowly and in some cases produced […]
Seals forage near man-made structures
A new study shows that some harbour and grey seals are using man-made wind farms and undersea pipelines as foraging grounds. Seals were tagged with GPS tracking devices off the UK and Dutch coasts. Scientists noted that a few seals – up to 30 per cent in some populations – foraged near offshore wind farms, […]
Seniors still at risk of stroke 2 years after heart surgery
Older people who have undergone surgery are at increased risk of suffering a stroke for up to 2 years afterward, a new study shows. While it was known that the risk increases immediately after surgery, the new study shows that the risk period extends longer than expected. Researchers followed 108,711 patients who had cardiac surgery […]
Erosion nature marvels explained
Have you ever wondered at the peculiar form of sandstones in places like the Arches National Park in the USA? In a new study, researchers explain how these stable pillar-like landforms emerge from sand through erosion alone. They conducted experiments in their lab and ran through numerical simulation to understand how the brittle sandstone could […]
Caribous and wolves metabolize some pesticides
Caribou and wolves living in the Canadian Arctic are able to metabolize some pesticides according to a new study. By analyzing local vegetation and the tissue of captured caribous and wolves researchers looked to see if the pesticide levels would biomagnify – increase in concentration up the food chain. They saw that while currently used pesticides do enter the food […]
Measuring anxiety with optical illusions
A classic optical illusion has provided insight into how anxiety influences our view of the world. Researchers used animated stick figures to assess participants’ perceptions. These figures have no depth, allowing them to be perceived as either walking toward the viewer (i.e. more hostile) or away (less hostile). Participants who had completed an anxiety reduction task (breathing […]
Canadian intelligence analysts sometimes lack confidence in their forecasts
Senior intelligence analysts working in the Privy Council Office have a tendency to lack confidence in their forecasts, a new study shows. The authors analyzed more than 1,500 strategic intelligence forecasts made by analysts advising senior policy makers in the Government of Canada, encompassing 6 years worth of reports. The usual finding in the forecasting […]
Community-based approach helps fight TB in Nunavut
A community-based approach to TB awareness and screening in Nunavut has resulted in an increase in detection and treatment. Nunavut is the only area of Canada where TB rates are increasing; in 2010 it was 60 times higher than the national rate. An awareness and door-to-door screening campaign called Taima TB – Taima is Inuktitut for […]