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In Case You Missed It
 Endangered wild salmon infected by newly discovered viruses
eLife
Published September 3, 2019
Three new viruses—including one from a group of viruses never before shown to infect fish—have been found in British Columbia’s endangered Chinook and sockeye salmon populations. The viruses’ impact on salmon health isn’t yet known, but all three are related to viruses that cause serious disease in other species. Read more>
Corresponding authors: Gideon Mordecai, University of British Columbia - gmordecai@eoas.ubc.ca; Kristina Miller, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo - Kristi.Saunders@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Early breeding season for some Arctic seabirds due to global warming
Global Change Biology
Published July 31, 2019
Surface-feeding seabirds in the northern Pacific Ocean are breeding earlier in the year because of the ocean's rising temperature and melting ice – signals of the start of spring in the Arctic. Compared to 35 years ago, the birds are now breeding 10 days earlier. Read more>
Canadian co-authors: Mark Mallory, Acadia University - mark.mallory@acadiau.ca; Gregory Robertson, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, NL - greg.robertson@ec.gc.ca
Astronomers use giant galaxy cluster as X-ray magnifying lens
Nature Astronomy
Published October 14, 2019 (News release from MIT)
Astronomers used a massive cluster of galaxies as an X-ray magnifying glass to peer back in time to nearly 9.4 billion years ago. In the process, they spotted a tiny dwarf galaxy in its very first, high-energy stages of star formation.
Canadian co-author: Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo, University of Montreal - juliehl@astro.umontreal.ca
Scientists find recipe for greener garden waste disposal
Journal of Environmental Management
Published October 15, 2019
Adding manure and mushroom crop leftovers to leaves and clippings helps earthworms digest them – and speeds up composting by 80 per cent. Read more>
Canadian co-author: Scott Chang, University of Alberta - scott.chang@ales.ualberta.ca
11,500 years of human–clam relationships informs modern aquaculture management
PNAS
Published October 14, 2019
Researchers tracked the 11,500-year relationship between butter clams and people on the south British Columbia coast, documenting how the end of the last Ice Age led to improved clam habitats, the start of harvesting by humans 9,000 years ago, and the development of managed clam gardens 3,500 years ago. The authors say traditional clam gardens were more productive than today’s untended clam beaches, suggesting traditional practices may help increase productivity of farmed marine species and maintain healthy ecosystems today. Read more here> and here>
Corresponding author: Dana Lepofsky, Simon Fraser University - dlepofsk@sfu.ca
Big data reveals extraordinary unity underlying life’s diversity
PNAS
Published October 7, 2019
From the tiniest bacteria to the largest blue whale, metabolism, abundance, growth and mortality all follow strikingly consistent relationships with body size, according to this study. It brings together data from thousands of studies to show that, despite the variety of living things, many of the most important features of life follow universal laws. Read more>
Canadian co-authors: Eric Galbraith, McGill University - eric.galbraith@mcgill.ca; Ian Hatton, formerly McGill University - i.a.hatton@gmail.com
Housing First program significantly reduces homelessness over long term
The Lancet Psychiatry
Published October 7, 2019
The longest running study of its kind on the "Housing First" model has found that it significantly reduces homelessness over the long term compared to treatment as usual. Housing First provides immediate access to rent supplements and mental health support services to people who are homeless and have a mental illness, without requiring the recipients to first stop using substances or receive psychiatric treatment. Piloted in five Canadian cities, the model is being implemented in U.S., Australian, and European cities. Read more>
Lead author: Vicky Stergiopoulos, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto - vicky.stergiopoulos@camh.ca
How bats relocate in response to tree loss in Saskatchewan
Journal of Wildlife Management
Published October 8, 2019
A colony of big brown bats began moving to a new patch of forest about seven kilometres away when 18 per cent of the trees in the bats’ original part of forest died over a period three years. Most of the bats had shifted to the new patch by the fourth year, when cumulative loss of roost trees reached 46 per cent. Read more>
Canadian co-authors: Kristin Bondo, formerly University of Regina - kristin.bondo@ttu.edu; Craig Willis, University of Winnipeg - c.willis@uwinnipeg.ca, and more
CO2 emissions cause lost labour productivity
Scientific Reports
Published September 23, 2019
Based on widely used guidelines regarding rest-time recommendations per hour of labour and heat exposure, every trillion tonnes of CO2 emitted could cause global GDP losses of about one-half per cent. Economic losses of as much as two per cent of global GDP may already be occurring as a result of greenhouse gases already emitted. Read more>
Canadian co-authors: Damon Matthews, Concordia University - damon.matthews@concordia.ca; Yann Chavaillaz, formerly Concordia - yann.chavaillaz@gmail.com
To feed, or not to feed: Are we making birds lazy?
Animal Cognition
Published May 24, 2019
Contrary to researchers’ expectations, urbanization and the presence of feeders has little impact on the feeding behaviour and memory of black-capped chickadees. Read more>
Lead author: Megan Thompson, University of Ottawa - thompsonjoymegan@gmail.com
Polyamorous families face discrimination during pregnancy and birth
CMAJ
Published October 14, 2019
Polyamorous families experience marginalization during pregnancy and birth, but with open, nonjudgmental attitudes from health care providers and changes to hospital policies, this can be reduced. This qualitative study included 24 participants. Read more>
Commentary
Lead author: Elizabeth Darling, McMaster University - darlinek@mcmaster.ca
New tool helps lobster fishery address impacts of climate change
Frontiers in Marine Science
Published September 13, 2019
Fishermen, resource managers, and policy-makers can use a new tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto a geographic fishery management area to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia and Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine. Read more>
Corresponding author: Blair Greenan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa - blair.greenan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Siblings of problem gamblers also impulsive, prone to risk-taking
Neuropsychopharmacology
Published October 9, 2019
Biological siblings of people with gambling disorder display markers of increased impulsivity and risk-taking, too. Read more>
Lead author Eve Limbrick-Oldfield, University of British Columbia - eve@psych.ubc.ca
Aggressive and agitated behaviors in dementia better treated with non-drug therapies
Annals of Internal Medicine
Published October 14, 2019
Treatments such as massage, touch and music therapy were more effective than antipsychotic or antidepression medication for reducing aggression and agitation in adults with dementia, according to the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis. Despite the risk for potential harm, use of prescriptions to control behaviour in seniors’ homes remains high. Read more>
Lead author: Jennifer Watt, St. Michael's Hospital-Unity Health Toronto, via Michael Oliveira - Michael.Oliveira@unityhealth.to
Genetic link found for some forms of SIDS
Nature Communications
Published October 11, 2019
Reesearchers have found a link between a genetic mutation and some instances of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Heart cells of affected infants do not properly convert fats into nutrients. This can lead to a build-up of unprocessed fatty material that can disrupt heart function, causing infants to die suddenly of cardiac arrest when just months old. This is just one of many causes of SIDS. Read more>
Canadian co-author: Jason Miklas, formerly at University of Toronto - miklasja@uw.edu
How your heart evolved to handle long-distance running
PNAS
Published October 1, 2019
An international research team has discovered how the human heart has adapted to support endurance physical activities. The findings could help to reduce hypertensive heart disease, one of the most common causes of illness and death in the developed world. Read more>
Lead author: Robert Shave, University of British Columbia, Okanagan - rob.shave@ubc.ca
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News Tips
Clothing and the ocean: The role of textiles in microfibre pollution
Read the report from Ocean Wise>
Mass extinction of birds likely under climate change, Canadian birds especially at risk
Audobon Society
Climate change could lead to the extinction of two-thirds of North America’s bird species, including most of those who depend on Canada’s northern forests and tundra.
Read the report>
Read the summary>
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Of Interest
Science journalist Hannah Hoag appointed Deputy Editor of The Conversation Canada
Read more>
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