myĢ��Ƶ - Ģ��Ƶ News Releases

Drugs targeting ‘zombie cells’ show promise for treating chronic back pain

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:32:42 +0000

In a preclinical study led by Ģ��Ƶ researchers, two drugs targeting “zombie cells” have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide.

Current treatments manage symptoms through painkillers or surgery, without addressing the root cause.

Fighting honey fraud with AI technology

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:10:40 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ researchers have developed an AI-powered method to verify the origin of honey, ensuring that what’s on the label matches what’s in the jar. The breakthrough offers a potential solution to a long-standing problem.

“Honey is one of the most fraud-prone commodities in global trade. It often involves mislabelling where it was produced or the types of flowers that bees collected nectar from,” said lead author Stéphane Bayen, Associate Professor and Chair of Ģ��Ƶ’s Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry.

New drone-assisted 3D model offers a more accurate way to date dinosaur fossils

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:09:29 +0000

A new study from Ģ��Ƶ is reshaping how scientists date dinosaur fossils in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP). Using advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping, researchers have uncovered significant variations in a key geological marker, challenging long-standing methods of determining the ages of dinosaur fossils.

What links cannabis use and psychosis? Researchers point to the brain’s dopamine system

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:18:25 +0000

A Ģ��Ƶ-led study found that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis.

“This could help explain why cannabis use increases the risk of hallucinations and delusions, key symptoms of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders,” said first author Jessica Ahrens, a PhD student in Ģ��Ƶ’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience.

Ģ��Ƶ discovery sheds new light on autism, intellectual disabilities

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:39:13 +0000

A new study by Ģ��Ƶ researchers yields insights into how the disruption of calcium transport in the brain is linked to autism and intellectual disability. The findings, published in the journal Nature, not only upend a long-held belief among neuroscientists, but could pave the way for treatments.

COVID-19 boosters help avoid breakthrough infections in immunocompromised people, Ģ��Ƶ-led study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:26:36 +0000

New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at Ģ��Ƶ say.

Humpback whales’ use of memory to time their migration could prove less effective amid climate change

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:09:16 +0000

A new study led by Ģ��Ƶ researchers indicates that humpback whales in the southeastern Pacific combine real-time environmental cues with their memories of conditions in their Antarctic feeding grounds to determine when to embark on their annual 10,000-kilometre journey. With climate change accelerating, the researchers warn this strategy may become less effective amid shifting ocean conditions.

AI analysis challenges autism diagnosis criteria

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:11:03 +0000

An analysis of digital health records using large language models (LLMs) is challenging a long-held belief about the clinical identifiers of autism.

A new study led by researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of Ģ��Ƶ and Mila Quebec AI Institute found that social communication factors may not be as important in identifying the condition as previously believed.

Study of velvet worm slime could revolutionize sustainable material design

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 13:02:30 +0000

A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionize sustainable material design, according to a study by Ģ��Ƶ researchers. Their findings outline how a naturally occurring protein structure, conserved across species from Australia, Singapore and Barbados over nearly 400 million years of evolution, enables the slime’s transformation from liquid to fibre and back again. It’s a discovery that could inspire next-generation recyclable bioplastics.

Tracking contaminant accumulation in Arctic marine mammals

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:49:32 +0000

A new method of tracking the dietary habits and contaminant exposure of animals in Arctic marine ecosystems is providing critical insights as climate change reshapes the region's food web.

AI has untapped potential to advance biodiversity conservation, study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:11:59 +0000

A new study from Ģ��Ƶ researchers suggests the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly analyze vast amounts of biodiversity data could revolutionize conservation efforts by enabling scientists and policymakers to make better-informed decisions.

Blood test shows promise for early detection of dementia

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:11:26 +0000

For people with a certain sleep disorder, a simple blood test could help predict the development of dementia years before symptoms appear, a new study indicates.

Ultra-thin bismuth holds unexpected promise for green electronics: researcher

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:03:12 +0000

Electronic devices rely on materials whose electrical properties change with temperature, making them less stable in extreme conditions. A discovery by Ģ��Ƶ researchers that challenges conventional wisdom in physics suggests that bismuth, a metal, could serve as the foundation for highly stable electronic components.

The researchers observed a mysterious electrical effect in ultra-thin bismuth that remains unchanged across a wide temperature range, from near absolute zero (-273°C) to room temperature.

In preparing children for a racially unequal society, families of colour can benefit from more support, study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:49:44 +0000

A Ģ��Ƶ-led team of researchers has gained insight into how parents of colour in the United States approach discussions with their children aimed at teaching them the skills they need to survive and thrive in a racially unequal society.

A key finding of the recent paper in Developmental Psychology is that parents are especially in need of information, support and guidance when it comes to preparing their children to face discrimination and bias.

Proactively exposing ecosystems to mild environmental stressors appears to offer protection, study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:05:32 +0000

Mild, proactive exposure to environmental stress can help biological communities resist severe disturbances and maintain genetic diversity, a recent study from Ģ��Ƶ has found.

Scientific insights into how humans access deep spiritual states

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:11:10 +0000

Two seemingly opposite spiritual practices – Buddhist jhāna meditation and the Christian practice of speaking in tongues – have more in common than previously thought, a new study suggests.

While one is quiet and deeply focused, and the other emotionally charged and expressive, both appear to harness the same cognitive feedback loop to create profound states of joy and surrender.

New discovery could help protect against influenza

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 14:23:27 +0000

A component found in all fungi may provide a shield against flu-related lung damage, according to a new study.

A team of scientists led by Maziar Divangahi, a Professor in Ģ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Senior Scientist at the Research Institute of the Ģ��Ƶ Health Centre, demonstrated that beta-glucan, administered to mice before their exposure to influenza, can reduce lung damage, improve lung function and lower the risk of illness and death.

Communication between body muscle and the brain influences fertility, study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:53:33 +0000

A newly discovered line of communication between body muscle and the pituitary gland may play an unexpected role in female fertility, according to a new study.

Ģ��Ƶ researchers found that a protein produced in the muscles helps manage the release of a hormone made in the pea-sized gland attached to the base of the brain.

The findings, published in Science, could lead to new treatment options for infertility, the researchers said.

When using music to alleviate pain, tempo matters

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 16:32:01 +0000

Music has the best chance of providing pain relief when it is played at our natural rhythm, a Ģ��Ƶ research team has discovered.

This suggests it may be possible to reduce a patient’s level of pain by using technology to take a piece of music someone likes and adjust the tempo to match their internal rhythm, the researchers said.

The discovery was the subject of a paper published this week in Pain, the top journal in the field of pain medicine and research.

Remote sensing tools yield insights into abandoned pre-Columbian Mexican city

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:57:34 +0000

A Ģ��Ƶ researcher has discovered that Guiengola, a 15^th century Zapotec site in southern Oaxaca, Mexico, which had been thought to be simply a fortress where soldiers were garrisoned, was in fact a sprawling, fortified city. It covered 360 hectares, with over 1,100 buildings, four kilometres of walls, a network of internal roads and a clearly organized urban layout with temples and communal spaces such as ballcourts, and the elites and commoners lived in separate neighbourhoods.

‘Last Ice Area’ in the Arctic could disappear much sooner than previously thought

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 21:17:23 +0000

The Arctic’s “Last Ice Area” (LIA) — a vital habitat for ice-dependent species — might disappear within a decade after the central Arctic Ocean becomes ice-free in summer, which is expected to occur sometime around mid-century, a new study by Ģ��Ƶ researchers using a high-resolution model has found.

What drives mood swings in bipolar disorder? Study points to a second brain clock

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:08:29 +0000

A brain rhythm working in tandem with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle may explain why bipolar patients alternate between mania and depression, according to new research.

The Ģ��Ƶ-led study published in Science Advances marks a breakthrough in understanding what drives shifts between the two states, something that, according to lead author Kai-Florian Storch, is considered the “holy grail” of bipolar-disorder research.

Dead galaxies, live signals: Astronomers uncover a fast radio burst’s surprising location

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 16:41:09 +0000

Astronomers studying the origins of enigmatic fast radio bursts (FRBs) have made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform our understanding of the universe’s most powerful and mysterious signals. The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment Fast Radio Burst (CHIME/FRB) collaboration has pinpointed the location on the sky of a repeating FRB, known as FRB 20240209A, outside a dead galaxy, a finding unprecedented in FRB science. The researchers believe the FRB may have originated in a cluster of old, dead stars orbiting the dead galaxy.

Shape-shifting materials are made more versatile

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:27:12 +0000

Finding new angles on an old artform, Ģ��Ƶ researchers have increased the number of stable shapes that kirigami-based engineered materials can take, opening the way to a range of new applications.

What makes these metamaterials special is not what they are made of – they can be plastic, cardboard or anything else – but how, thanks to shapes cut into them, they are able to morph from one form to another. To begin to understand the concept, think of pop-up illustrations of cut paper in books or greeting cards.

Child undernutrition may be contributing to global measles outbreaks, researchers find

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:54:05 +0000

Amid a global surge in measles cases, new research suggests that undernutrition may be exacerbating outbreaks in areas suffering from food insecurity.

A study involving over 600 fully vaccinated children in South Africa found those who were undernourished had substantially lower levels of antibodies against measles.

Clouds have a surprising effect on surface warming, Ģ��Ƶ climate researchers find

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:07:07 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ researchers have discovered that changes in clouds are slightly mitigating global warming.

AI innovation unlocks non-surgical way to detect brain cancer spread

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:11:48 +0000

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model to detect the spread of metastatic brain cancer using MRI scans, offering insights into patients’ cancer without aggressive surgery.

Apex predators in prehistoric Colombian oceans would have snacked on killer whales today: Ģ��Ƶ study

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:09:21 +0000

Predators at the top of a marine food chain 130 million years ago ruled with more power than any modern species, Ģ��Ƶ research into a marine ecosystem from the Cretaceous period revealed.

Integrating historic data stands to improve climate models in the Global South

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 14:21:42 +0000

An international team led by Ģ��Ƶ researchers has devised a way to improve the accuracy of climate change models for the Global South by integrating historical records kept by missionaries and other visitors.

Researchers link mysterious cosmic signals to collapsed stars

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 13:05:40 +0000

An international team of scientists led by Ģ��Ƶ researchers has provided the clearest evidence yet that some fast radio bursts (FRBs) — enigmatic, millisecond-long flashes of radio waves from space — originate from neutron stars, the ultra-dense remnants of massive stars that have exploded in a supernova. This finding, based on an analysis of the radio signal of a single FRB, advances our understanding of one of the universe’s most perplexing phenomena.

Study links alcohol consumption to more severe nut allergy reaction

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:55:20 +0000

Findings of a new study into severe allergic reactions offer a sobering warning to people allergic to tree nuts and, more broadly, could lead to quicker diagnoses in emergency care for people with all anaphylactic allergies.

New drug shows promise against Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:11:47 +0000

A novel drug holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic disorder that causes severe muscle degeneration.

Ģ��Ƶ researchers have discovered that an experimental compound called K884 can boost the natural repair abilities of muscle stem cells. Current treatments can slow muscle damage, but don’t address the root problem.

DMD affects about one in 5,000 boys worldwide, often leading to wheelchair dependence by the teenage years and life-threatening complications in early adulthood.

Ģ��Ƶ researchers help uncover rare gamma-ray flare from a distant black hole

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:12:12 +0000

A high-energy gamma-ray flare from the super-massive black hole in the Messier 87 (M87) galaxy was observed in 2018 for the first time in nearly a decade, thanks to an international effort involving Ģ��Ƶ researchers. This discovery has yielded important insights into the physics of black hole jets, which are among the most efficient engines for distributing energy from the inside of a galaxy to the expanse of the Universe.

Ģ��Ƶ researchers reveal how life-saving molecules are created

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:11:01 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ researchers have discovered how certain microbes create potent drugs like antibiotics and anti-cancer therapies.

Their surprising findings could change the way scientists approach drug discovery and pave the way to the designing of next-generation medications, explained Martin Schmeing, principal investigator and professor in Ģ��Ƶ’s Department of Biochemistry and Centre for Structural Biology.

Understanding when and why people give bribes

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:05:07 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ-led researchers developed a model of the factors that go into citizens’ calculations about whether to bribe officials, information that can help authorities fight corruption.

Universal genetic testing of breast cancer patients could help many

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:48:35 +0000

A new study demonstrates how universal genetic testing for breast cancer can ensure no patient is missed for advanced therapies.

Ģ��Ƶ, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and the U.S. State Department Commemorate 70 Years of Ģ��Ƶ’s Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados with a Full Day of STEAM Programming

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:05:39 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), and the U.S. State Department today teamed up to host a full day of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) activities and presentations to honour the 70th anniversary of Ģ��Ƶ’s acclaimed Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados and promote STEAM education to students in Barbados.

Retailers boost profits while improving eating habits of clientele

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 14:56:02 +0000

Convenience stores can help customers improve their eating habits while at the same time boosting both their own sales and profits. It’s as simple as offering customers the choice between healthy snacks and pastries as a low-cost add-on to their cup of coffee, according to a new study out of Ģ��Ƶ.

Addressing the mental health impacts of conflicts and climate change

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:21:00 +0000

As violent conflicts, forced migration, and an increase in natural disasters sparked by climate change trigger rising humanitarian needs around the globe, a new initiative to understand how to better support the mental health of those affected is being launched at Ģ��Ƶ, thanks to a visionary gift from Flagship Pioneering Founder and CEO and Co-Founder and Chairman of Moderna, Noubar Afeyan, BEng’83, DSc’22, and his wife, Anna Afeyan Gunnarson.

Pregnancy enhances natural immunity to block severe flu

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 21:04:20 +0000

Ģ��Ƶ scientists have discovered that pregnancy may trigger a natural immunity to boost protection against severe flu infection.

Contrary to the common belief that pregnancy increases vulnerability to infections, researchers found that it strengthened an immune defense in mice, blocking the Influenza A virus from spreading to the lungs, where it can cause severe infection.

Lab-grown brain cells help uncover new targets for Parkinson’s treatments

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 14:09:57 +0000

Scientists have uncovered a new link between the immune system and the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) at Ģ��Ƶ have discovered that an immune response plays a key role in how toxic protein clumps, known as Lewy bodies, form in brain cells and contribute to disease.

This suggests factors that trigger the immune system, such as chronic inflammation, exposure to toxins, or prolonged stress may not only correlate with Parkinson’s, as previous research has found, but drive its development.

Ģ��Ƶ-linked AXIS mission is one of two finalists in NASA selection process

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:15:15 +0000

NASA has selected the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) mission, co-investigated by Ģ��Ƶ Professor Daryl Haggard, to advance to the next stage of its $1 billion space probe competition.

Satisfaction among REM users is up after one year of operation, Ģ��Ƶ study finds

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:46:30 +0000

User satisfaction with the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has increased since its first line opened in the summer of 2023, preliminary results from a survey by Transportation Research at Ģ��Ƶ (TRAM) indicate.

Since 2019, TRAM has been conducting a longitudinal study on the REM. Preliminary results indicate that among the close to 1,700 REM users who participated in the survey this fall:

Satisfaction with the service increased to 79 per cent from 75 per cent in 2023;

Cannabis disrupts brain activity in young adults prone to psychosis: study

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:37:10 +0000

Young adults at risk of psychosis show reduced brain connectivity, a deficit that cannabis use appears to worsen, a new study has found. The breakthrough paves the way for psychosis treatments targeting symptoms that current medications miss.

In the first-of-its-kind study, Ģ��Ƶ researchers detected a marked decrease in synaptic density—the connections between neurons that enable brain communication—in individuals at risk of psychosis, compared to a healthy control group.

Saskatchewan’s first Centrosaurus and Citipes elegans fossils discovered by Ģ��Ƶ researchers

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:36:54 +0000

Paleontologists and students from Ģ��Ƶ have documented Saskatchewan's first confirmed fossil specimens of Centrosaurus, a horned dinosaur species closely related to Triceratops.

The search, conducted in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park along the South Saskatchewan River, also unearthed a rare mix of dinosaur and marine fossils, shedding light on a dinosaur fauna which existed on the edge of an ancient sea at a time of rising sea levels long before humans roamed the earth.

New technology rapidly measures antioxidants in maple syrup

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:23:09 +0000

Researchers at Ģ��Ƶ have developed an eco-efficient, user-friendly technology that quickly measures the antioxidant content of maple syrup. The innovative method contributes to increasing transparency about a health-related aspect of the syrup's nutritional value and allows for on-site quality testing without the need for costly lab assessments.

Time in nature benefits children with mental health difficulties: study

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:30:59 +0000

A team of researchers from Ģ��Ƶ and Université de Montréal’s Observatoire pour l’éducation et la santé des enfants (OPES, or observatory on children’s health and eduation), led by Sylvana Côté, spending two hours a week of class time in a natural environment can reduce emotional distress among 10- to 12-year-olds who had the most significant mental health problems before the program began.

Better education can mitigate post-harvest food losses, increase global food security

Ģ��Ƶ — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:54:54 +0000

Better educating farmers and food processors about how to avoid post-harvest food losses – which amount to one-third of global food production, worth US$1 trillion annually – would reduce global food insecurity, according to researchers at Ģ��Ƶ.

Temporary sound installations could help reduce noise pollution: study

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:58:47 +0000

Temporary sound installations can be a low-cost way of dealing with noise pollution in areas of high urban density, Ģ��Ƶ researchers have found.

Dubbed the “new second hand smoke,” noise pollution can have consequences ranging from simple annoyance to such serious health problems as hearing loss and high blood pressure and can exacerbate various mental health conditions.

Atlantic killer whales show dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals: study

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:06:07 +0000

Killer whales off Canada’s Atlantic coast continue to be contaminated with dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that put them at elevated risk of severe immune-system and reproductive problems, a recent Ģ��Ƶ-led study has found.

Researchers find design flaws and oversight issues in certain health apps, offer solutions for more effective tools

Ģ��Ƶ — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:56:13 +0000

AI-powered apps offering medical diagnoses at the click of a button are often limited by biased data and a lack of regulation, leading to inaccurate and unsafe health advice, a new study found.

Berry-flavoured may be more dangerous than non-flavoured vapes: study

Ģ��Ƶ — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:10:02 +0000

Berry-flavoured vapes can weaken the lungs’ natural defences, making it harder for the body to fight off infections, new research suggests.

The study compared effects of flavoured e-cigarettes to those of unflavoured ones.

While previous research has shown that all forms of vaping can be harmful, the scholars said this study adds to a mounting body of evidence demonstrating how added flavourings to vaping solutions can exacerbate the dangers.

Landmark study finds low-sugar diet in early childhood reduces lifetime risk of chronic disease

Ģ��Ƶ — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 18:06:08 +0000

A low-sugar diet in the first years of life can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, a study based on historical data has found.

The researchers pulled data from UK Biobank, focusing on adults conceived just before and after the 1953 end of wartime sugar rationing in the United Kingdom.

Tracking biodiversity: Ģ��Ƶ researchers outline strengths and challenges in new monitoring framework

Ģ��Ƶ — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:09:37 +0000

As the UN COP16 on biodiversity meets in Calì, Colombia, experts from Ģ��Ƶ are on-site, providing important input into the global conversation.

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