news 2023

A new study from Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute published in the journal Microbiome has found changes in the microbiome in multiple locations in the body are linked to the formation of kidney stones. The human microbiome comprises trillions of microorganisms, including healthy bacteria.

Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales. A study published today in Scientific Reports is the first to find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in orcas off the coast of B.C., as well as in utero transfer of the chemicals from mother to fetus.

Declining fertility in dairy cows could be mitigated by taking into account the epigenetic profile of the "fathers" . Around the world, dairy cows are finding it increasingly difficult to "get pregnant". Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain this drop in fertility, but a team from Laval University has just identified a factor that has passed under the radar of most researchers until now.

A new multidisciplinary study reconstructs the genomic history of the Balkan Peninsula during the first millennium of the common era, a time and place of profound demographic, cultural and linguistic change. The Balkan Peninsula is broadly defined as the region surrounded by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas.

New study on vapes challenges belief that adolescents experience less severe withdrawal symptoms from nicotine than adults  Vapes or e-cigarettes were introduced as a potentially safer alternative to traditional smoking to curb tobacco use. However, the popularity of vapes has risen among an age group it wasn't intended for: adolescents.

The simple activity of walking through a room jumpstarts the neurons in the human brain. An explosion of electrochemical events or "neuronal spikes" appear at various times during the action. These spikes in activity, otherwise known as action potentials, are electrical impulses that occur when neurons communicate with one another.

The first exploration of the piercing microbiome reveals how a sudden disturbance like a piercing can lead to a fundamental ecological shift that increases biodiversity and lay groundwork for developing skin piercings as a model for understanding how communities respond to rapid environmental change In a new study from McGill researchers bring science into an unexpected setting: a tattoo parlor.

Groundbreaking work by IRCM scientists using an RNA-based therapeutic approach gives hope for a future cure for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major health problem affecting approximately 30 percent of people in Western countries and which has been in sharp increase over the last three decades.

A new study from Simon Fraser researchers examines the Canadian military's efforts to reduce the impacts of underwater noise pollution on species during training exercises in the Pacific Ocean but caveat that more can still be done. The paper, published today in Marine Policy , takes aim at a report commissioned by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) to reduce the effects of noise pollution from military small-arms munitions training within "Whiskey Hotel", a 330-square-kilometre area in the Strait of Juan de Fuca off the British Columbia coast.

Discovery may lead to medical advances in bio-implants, wearable sensors, and more How do you create strong, yet quick-release connections between living and non-living tissues? This is a question that continues to puzzle bioengineers who aim to create materials that bond together for advanced biomedical applications.

Do adults with a history of childhood trauma have altered brain responses to psychological challenges? Previous studies indicated that this can occur in laboratory animals, but it has been unclear whether it occurs in humans. Now a team of scientists, led by researchers from McGill University, have found evidence that exposure to childhood adversity is associated with an altered ability to process stressful challenges and other emotional material.

Laval University scientists identify a new class of bacteria that plays a key role in one of Canada's most northerly lakes Lake A, located on Ellesmere Island in Canada's High Arctic, has been isolated from the world for millennia. "It's a kind of lost world, untouched by human disturbance. The environmental conditions are particularly favourable for the study of microorganisms and their potential," stresses Adrien Vigneron, former postdoctoral fellow in Warwick Vincent's North Sentinel team, and Connie Lovejoy, from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

McGill biology researchers found that there are patterns regarding the importance of temperature in determining where species live, shedding light on their sensitivity to climate change As the planet gets hotter, animal and plant species around the world will be faced with new, potentially unpredictable living conditions, which could alter ecosystems in unprecedented ways.

If you have ever laughed at a joke despite not finding it funny, or laughed at something and weren't sure why, you have proven that comprehending and appreciating humour are two very different things. Western University neuroscientists have now discovered that two distinct parts of the brain trigger these reactions, a result that also may shed light on why some patients with Parkinson's disease might have difficulty being 'in' on a joke.

UdeM professor Sandra Binning and her colleagues have developed a predictive model of parasitic infection-related migratory behaviour in different animal species. Migration is a survival mechanism for many species. Animals travel to find food, reproduce, reduce competition, escape predators or escape winter.

Western research shows prenatal exposure to cannabis may increase diabetes risk in offspring Study finds exposure to CBD impacts glucose intolerance in male rats Cannabis consumption is prevalent among pregnant women in North America, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24 years, previous research has shown.

Science, Health & Technology Lou Corpuz-Bosshart Local adaptation may protect songbirds against climate change Scientists have unlocked the genetic basis underlying the remarkable variation in body size observed in song sparrows, one of North America's most familiar and beloved songbirds. This discovery also provides insights into this species' capacity to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

When animals 'sing' sitting on the ground- such as when crickets chirp- their volume and reach increase dramatically, by as much as ten-fold. This result from a study by Western researchers, published today in the high impact journal PNAS , contradicts long-held beliefs in the field of animal communication, which presume the ground is a hindrance to sound transmission.

Groundbreaking research is being carried out in several Université de Montréal departments and research institutes to link artificial intelligence and the functions of the brain. The disciplines of neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI) are intricately linked. The structure of the brain inspired the artificial neural networks of AI systems, and the machine learning techniques of AI, in particular deep learning, are modelled on the functioning of the mind.

Researchers led by UdeM neuroscientist Tomas Paus uncover an important thinning mechanism that affects how the brain matures in adolescence. What determines how a teenager's brain is structured and how it evolves? In a scientific first, researchers led by Université de Montréal neuroscientist Tomas Paus and postdoctoral fellow Zhijie Liao have established a close link between brain activity and a maturation process called cortical thinning.