Human breast milk bought on the Internet is not always pure human breast milk according to a new American study. Parents purchase human breast milk from the Internet to help supplement their supply, and in some cases the parents are purchasing milk for infants with sensitivities to cows milk or formula. Researchers tested 102 samples […]
Do you have eco-friendly friends?
Canadians with personal ties to members of environmental organizations are more likely to engage in eco-friendly behaviours such as recycling and buying a more fuel-efficient car than those with no such ties, according to a new study. Using data from two surveys carried out in Canada in 2007, researchers conclude that individual-level social connections to […]
Canada’s disappearing glaciers
Glaciers in western Canada are projected to lose 70 per cent of their ice volume by 2100, relative to 2005, according to a new study. Using simulations which model the effect of global warming, researchers demonstrated that Canadian glaciers will experience the same shrinkage as mountain glaciers in other places around the world. A few […]
Damaged tau is the main cause behind Alzheimer’s disease
The main cause of Alzheimer’s disease is a dysfunctional protein according to a study of over 3,600 post-mortem brains. It was previously unknown if damaged or dysfunctional protein known as tau or amyloid build-up was the main cause of Alzheimer’s disease. A research team behind the new study believes that tau is Alzheimer’s primary cause. […]
Mercury in endangered Ivory Gull feathers reach a 130-year record high
Ivory Gulls have declined by more than 80 per cent in Canada since the 1980s and have been listed as an endangered species in Canada since 2006. These gulls have the highest concentrations of mercury in their eggs of any Arctic bird, but the reason for their decline is not well understood. Researchers measured mercury […]
Hummingbirds could improve drones’ stability
Albatrosses, airplanes, and helicopters all share long narrow wings which provide good aerodynamic efficiency. In contrast the wings of hummingbirds are short and stubby. Conventional aerodynamic theory predicts this should makes them inefficient. In a new study, researchers resolved some of the contradiction by finding that while slender wings are indeed most efficient at a […]
For a tree out west it’s all about the competition
A study of forests in Western Canada has revealed the forces shaping and changing the make up of a forest over time, are primarily competition among trees, with climate playing a secondary role. Researchers studied data collected between 1958 and 2009 in 1,680 forest plots from British Columbia to Manitoba. They found that competition […]
Universal pharmacare could save Canada billions each year
Using data quantifying Canadian prescription drug use and spending, researchers believe that Canada could save up to $9.4 billion a year by switching to a universal pharmacare program. The researchers analysed prescription drug data from the 2012-2013 fiscal year and determined that if Canada were to switch to a universal program, the economic savings would […]
Cough medicine could help diabetic patients
Dextromethorphan, sold in Canada as an ingredient of the over-the-counter cough medicine Robitussin and Bronchophan Forte DM, could help in regulating type 2 diabetes according to a new study. In mice, this medicine was found to improve glucose control, while in a small human clinical trial (20 men with Type 2 diabetes) the researchers found it […]
No deaths from acute kidney injury by 2025
Preventable deaths caused by acute kidney injury (also known as acute renal failure) could be eliminated in just 10 years according to an international commission of kidney experts. This condition, which sees an abrupt loss of kidney function within a week, affects 20 per cent of North Americans admitted to hospitals, around 13 million […]
Healthy life, healthy mind
Healthy eating, exercising, and brain-training may be able to slow down cognitive decline in at risk individuals according to a new study. Researchers performed a randomised control trial of 1,260 people between 60 and 77 years old who were considered at risk for dementia. Individuals in the control group were given only regular health advice, […]
Earliest known giant filter-feeding sea creature
New fossils from Morocco represent the earliest known giant filter-feeding sea creature, Aegirocassis benmoulae. These creatures could exceed two meters in length and fed on plankton much the same way modern whales do. Scientists think the animals went extinct because there was not enough plankton at the time (around 450 million years ago) to allow […]
Younger immigrants in Canada at higher risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease
The younger an immigrant is when he or she arrives in Canada, the higher their risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis according to new research. The study found that the children of immigrants from some areas of the world have a 14% increased risk of developing IBD […]
Hormone therapy and heart diseases
Hormone replacement therapy does not protect post-menopausal women against cardiovascular diseases, an updated meta-analysis shows. Furthermore, hormone therapy does cause a slight increased risk of stroke. The authors of the study took into account new results from clinical trials that lasted between six months and 10 years, in which 40,000 women (mainly over 60 years […]
Wind-sculpted canyons
Winds could be responsible for the shape of some modern canyons on Earth and other planets such as Mars, according to a new study. Researchers analysed a set of river gorges in the Chilean Andes where some of the canyons are exposed to strong winds, and others are shielded. They found that wind explained differences […]
Incidental findings: What would you want to know?
With next-generation individual genome sequencing for medical reasons comes the ethical issue of uncovering incidental findings about one’s health. Would you like your physician to tell you that you are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease? Responding to an online questionnaire, 1200 Canadians answered that they generally would agree to receive information about high-risk disease disorders […]