A new study shows that the boreal forest could be more resilient to forest fire than previously thought. Using climate projections, scientists estimate that forest fire in the Boreal forest in Canada will be bigger and happen more frequently by the end of the 21st century. However, a careful study of the past 200 years […]
Tag: Québec
Hearths hazardous to heart health
Black carbon pollutants from wood-burning stoves and vehicle emissions are associated with elevated blood pressure in Chinese women, a new study shows. Black carbon is an air pollutant that comes from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels or wood; while it’s only one component of airborne dust, this is the first study to single it out […]
Are trees crowding out cows?
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
New DNA technique could speed up genetic screening before birth
A new technique makes it easier for single molecules of DNA to be stretched out and imaged, which could lead to faster detection of genetic abnormalities in human embryos. The technique involves putting single DNA molecules in a liquid on top a bed of nano-sized grooves, then gently lowering a curved ‘lid’ on top. As […]
What’s the greenest province in Canada?
Researchers measuring pro-environmental behaviour in Canada at the household level found that British Columbia and Québec lead the pack. The study was conducted using the answers to 39 questions on the 2007 Environment Survey of Statistics Canada. They found out that households in British Columbia, Quebec, Prince-Edward-Island and Nova-Scotia were the greenest opposed to Alberta, […]
Gene variant reduces risk of Alzheimer’s disease
A new study shows that a particular gene variation is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a delay in the onset of symptoms. The study analyzed the brains of 800 Quebecers and found that a variant of a gene carried by about a quarter of the population is associated with a 50% […]
Predicting species tolerance to pesticides
A new computer model could help biologists predict how various species will respond to pesticides. Because of varying responses to pesticides between species – including their tendency to develop tolerance – it’s costly and difficult not only to judge their potential effectiveness but also to manage the unintended consequences in non-target species. The new model […]
Tree ring data traces eastern Canada’s ‘Little Ice Age’
New data from trees preserved in lakes in the Taiga of northern Quebec show that eastern Canada experienced much colder than usual summers following distant volcanic eruptions in the 13th century, and again in the 19th century. The so-called ‘Little Ice Age’ is well-documented in the historical and tree ring records worldwide, but the strength […]
Sugar intake linked to breast density
A new study links a high intake of sugar to an increase in breast density, which is one of the indicators of breast cancer risk. The study tracked 776 premenopausal and 779 postmenopausal women from two mammographic screening clinics in Quebec City. While none of the participants had a very high sugar intake, those who reported […]
Children tune into their parents, regardless of language
Monolingual children and bilingual children are equally good at learning new words, as long as they hear them from people who comes from their own language environment, a new study shows. Researchers tested thirty 17-month-old French-English bilinguals’ infants and thirty-one English monolinguals’ infants learning two simple pair of syllables (‘kem’ and ‘gem’) produced by an […]
New Arctic permafrost won’t last
As Arctic lakes shrink, new permafrost develops around them, but according to a new study it’s not expected to last the century. Researchers looked at a retreating lake in Alaska and saw new permafrost had formed along the old lakebed in areas where willow trees had altered the soil’s moisture and heat content. The new […]
Team sports could help smokers quit
A new study reveals that adolescents who practice team sports have a better ability to quit smoking, while those who are watching their weight have a harder time. Researchers followed the smoking and lifestyle habits of 620 high school students in the Montreal region between 1999 and 2005. They found that the male students, older […]
Expert Comments – Carbon Impact of Keystone XL
A study published Sunday in Nature Climate Change uses an economic model to quantify the potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport crude oil from Canadian oil sands projects to refineries in the US. The authors say that previous analyses did not adequately account for the ways […]