Every 14 months, a ‘slow’ earthquake occurs beneath Vancouver island which last for 10 to 14 days; a new study helps explain why some slow quakes happen more frequently than others. Occurring along faults around the world at a depth of 25-40 km, slow earthquakes are undetectable by humans, but they vary in frequency, with […]
Category: Paper of Interest
Sex helps water fleas resist invasion
A long-term study of water fleas – tiny lake-dwelling crustaceans – has shown that there are short-term benefits to sexual reproduction as well as long-term ones. Most water flea populations only produce females (asexual reproduction) but some produce a mixture of males and females. Sex leads to higher genetic diversity, which can help the species adapt […]
Breast surgery trends differ across Canada
Breast cancer patients from Newfoundland and Labrador were more likely to have mastectomies than those in other provinces, a new study shows. The research examined 57 840 Canadian women from 2007 to 2009 who underwent breast cancer surgery; many of those patients could undergo either mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery, called lumpectomy, which is usually followed […]
Do seed-eating squirrels impact the whole forest?
A new study shows that trees that store lots of fire-resistant seeds to prepare for forest fires end up attracting more seed-eating red squirrels, which provokes a cascading effect on the ability of forest to grow back after a fire. The study relies on three years of field study in Yellowstone park and applies to […]
DNA barcoding could help catch invasive snakeheads
A new set of DNA barcodes could help combat the notoriously invasive fish known as snakeheads. Snakeheads are native to Asia and are believed to have been introduced to North American rivers by private collectors dumping their unwanted pets. Identification is difficult because the juveniles and adults can look very different, while fish from different […]
Phone app provides faster assessment of breathing problems
A phone app that requires users to tap the screen after each breath can provide faster assessment of breathing problems, a new analysis shows. Electrical engineers designed an app that measures the space between breaths and can provide a reasonable estimate of breathing rate in as little as 10 seconds. The traditional way to assess […]
Which penguins beat the heat?
According to a new study, the Gentoo penguin is benefiting from climate change, while the chinstrap and Adélie penguins are not. Researchers used DNA analysis to assess the historic demographics and population structure of these species, and found that Gentoo penguins are climate change ‘winners’ and are expanding their range southward, while the two other […]
Suicides in Canada rose 4.5% after the recession
A new study suggests that the recent economic recession is linked to a 4.5% increase in Canada’s suicide rate. The study states that Canada experienced 240 suicides more than expected between 2007 and 2009, and that worldwide at least 10,000 additional suicides could be connected to the economic hardship experienced in EU countries, Canada and […]
Silent mutations aren’t so silent after all
A new study suggests that ‘silent’ mutations – changes to DNA that don’t alter the structure of the protein it encodes – may nonetheless have an impact on evolution. For example, alanine – an amino acid, one of the building blocks of DNA – can be encoded as GCC, GCA or GCG; these codes are […]
Pacific salmon species benefit each other
The number of juvenile coho salmon in a stream can be up to three times higher if pink or chum salmon were there the season before, according to a new paper. Juvenile coho have been known to scavenge the carcasses or eggs of their cousins, but most of the coho in the latest study emerged […]
Spanish flu could re-emerge from avian flu
Influenza viruses circulating among wild birds could, in the right combinations, combine to create a virus very similar to that which caused the 1918 worldwide pandemic known as “Spanish Flu”, according to a new paper. The authors combined avian flu viral segments that were only a few amino acids different than those of the Spanish […]
New fossils provide ‘a view to a gill’
New fossils of an ancient fish from Marble Canyon in British Columbia’s Kootenay National Park have provided insight into how jaws evolved. The remains represent the best-preserved fossils of Metaspriggina walcottii, a 500 million-year-old species that is among the oldest known fish. Based on the shape of features called ‘branchial bars’ associated with the gills, the […]
How bugs decide when to fly the coop
Many animals seek new habitat if they are too crowded or if there are too many predators, but new research suggests that the effect of these two factors can’t easily be separated. Researchers filled artificial pools with backswimmers, insects that normally swim but that can fly to a new pool if stressed. Introducing a predator […]
Blood test could detect osteoarthritis earlier
A new blood test could help doctors diagnose osteoarthritis in its earlier stages. Blood tests based on antibodies already exist for rheumatoid arthritis, however diagnosis of osteoarthritis relies on expensive equipment like MRI scanning machines, and even then it often can’t be detected until it is relatively advanced. In the new study, researchers used a […]
Genetics affirm existence of BC’s ‘coastal wolves’
New genetic information affirms what members of the Heiltsuk First Nation have long known: the islands off British Columbia host a population of ‘coastal wolves’ that is distinct but related to that of the timber wolves on the mainland. Examination of genetic markers from DNA collected in wolf droppings shows that coastal wolves are more […]
‘Electron-rich’ nanoparticles advance solar technology
Researchers have created a new breed of nanoparticle that could lead to cheaper and more efficient solar cells. Quantum dot solar cells are built using semiconducting nanoparticles that could be mixed into ink and printed in ordinary printers, greatly reducing the cost. Like traditional solar cells, they rely on two types of semiconductor materials: one […]