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In Case You Missed It
Canadian Arctic tundra was once covered in rich forest
Palaeontographica B
Published December 12, 2019
The ancient polar forests that once covered present-day Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands were home to species related to many modern temperate plants. Researchers have found fossils related to birch, alder, elm, and grape. Read more>
Lead author: Christopher West, University of Saskatchewan - christopher.west@usask.ca
Resident orcas' appetite likely reason for decline of big Chinook salmon
PNAS
Published December 16, 2019
Chinook salmon 40 inches or more in length were once common in the coastal river systems of British Columbia, Washington, Alaska and Oregon, but the fish have declined in body size in recent decades. This study points to the rise of resident orca – and their insatiable appetite for large Chinook salmon – as the main driver behind the decline of large Chinook. Read more here> and here>
Corresponding author: Jan Ohlberger, University of Washington, Seattle - janohl@uw.edu
Study of Canadian sexual assault cases deflates ‘statutory rape’ myth
Canadian Journal of Women and the Law
Published November 20, 2019
A study of three years of Canadian case law involving sexual offences against adolescent girls aged 12 to 17 shows that men accused in these cases were, on average, 19 years older than the complainant. The findings undermine the “statutory rape myth” – the idea that age-of-consent laws lead to the prosecution of large numbers of young men for engaging in sexual relationships with younger teenage girlfriends. Read more>
Authors: Isabel Grant, University of British Columbia - grant@allard.ubc.ca; Janine Benedet, University of British Columbia - benedet@allard.ubc.ca
Importance and vulnerability of mountains as the world’s water storage systems
Nature
Published December 9, 2019
This first-ever ranking of the world’s 78 mountain glacier–based water systems according to their importance to adjacent lowland communities and their vulnerability to environmental and socioeconomic changes shows these natural systems are at risk, in many cases critically, due to the threats of climate change, growing populations, mismanagement of water resources, and other geopolitical factors. Read more>
Canadian co-author: Michele Koppes, University of British Columbia - michele.koppes@geog.ubc.ca
Scientists deliver unprecedented measurements of pulsar
Astrophysical Journal Letters – papers 1, 2 and 3, with Canadian authors
Published December 12, 2019
A series of papers report the first precise measurements of a pulsar – the dense, whirling remains of an exploded star –1,100 lightyears from Earth. Researchers developed and used a theoretical framework and software to translate the pulsar’s properties from data collected by NASA’s Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer X-ray telescope. Read more>
Canadian co-author: Sharon Morsink, University of Alberta - morsink@ualberta.ca
A self-cleaning surface that repels even the deadliest superbugs
ACS Nano
Published December 13, 2019
Researchers have developed a self-cleaning surface that repels all forms of bacteria, preventing the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other dangerous bacteria in settings ranging from hospitals to kitchens. Read more>
Corresponding authors: Leyla Soleymani, McMaster University - soleyml@mcmaster.ca; Tohid Didar, McMaster University - didart@mcmaster.ca
Engineered sponges recover crude oil microdroplets from wastewater
Nature Sustainability
Published December 16, 2019
An innovative surface-engineered sponge recovers oil microdroplets with up to 99% removal efficiency. In the U.S., the oil industry produces over 15 billion barrels of wastewater contaminated with crude oil microdroplets annually and, until now, no effective method existed to remove the droplets.
Corresponding author: Geoffrey Ozin, University of Toronto - g.ozin@utoronto.ca
New measures needed to treat mental illness and opioid use
Health Services Insights
Published November 22, 2019
According to this study 7.5–22 per cent of 165,434 patients admitted to Ontario psychiatric hospitals between 2006 and 2017 had used opioids in the year prior to admission. Researchers say opioid use among psychiatric hospital patients needs to be addressed through an integrated approach to managing mental illness, pain and substance use. Read more>
Corresponding author: Christopher Perlman, University of Waterloo - Chris.perlman@uwaterloo.ca
New laser technique images quantum world in a trillionth of a second
Science
Published December 6, 2019
For the first time, researchers have been able to record, frame-by-frame, how an electron interacts with certain atomic vibrations in a solid. The technique captures a process that commonly causes electrical resistance in materials while, in others, can cause the exact opposite—the absence of resistance, or superconductivity. Read more>
Corresponding authors: David Jones, University of British Columbia - djjones@physics.ubc.ca; Andrea Damascelli, University of British Columbia - damascelli@physics.ubc.ca
Frontcountry campers more likely to respect nature than backcountry campers
Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Published March 2020
More park visitors in Alberta are aware of the core principles of responsible outdoor recreation than park visitors in Ontario are – despite the Ontario parks system’s formal adoption of a leading outdoor ethics program in 2011. This study also reveals an unanticipated divergence of beliefs between backcountry and frontcountry campers when it comes to enjoying nature sustainably. Read more>
Lead author: Clara-Jane Blye, University of Alberta - clarajan@ualberta.ca
Too many Canadians live with multiple chronic conditions
BMC Public Health
Published October 24, 2019
Inactivity, poor diet and more than optimal amounts of stress combined with an aging population are resulting in increasing numbers of Canadians with cardiometabolic conditions, and thus increasing their risk of poor health. Read more>
Corresponding author: Janice Eng, University of British Columbia, Okanagan - janice.eng@ubc.ca
Popular nursery rhyme can help curb spread of common infections in children
The BMJ
Published December 16, 2019
A musical mnemonic based on a popular nursery rhyme can help young children to learn and remember the proper hand hygiene technique and prevent the spread of common infections. Read more>
Lead author: Nisha Thampi, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa - lakerley@cheo.on.ca
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In the News
Heavy fuel oil, exhaust gas cleaning systems, and B.C.’s resident orcas
International Council on Clean Transportation (funded by World Wildlife Fund)
Report released December 10, 2019
Read the report>
Download the report>
Arctic Report Card 2019: Record territory for warm temperatures, loss of snow and ice
U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Report released December 10, 2019
Read more>
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Of Interest
Job posting: Climate Change Reporter
Winnipeg Free Press
Application deadline: December 19, 2019
More information>
Job posting: Communications Officer, Multimedia (bilingual)
Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Ottawa
Application deadline: December 18, 2019
More information>
Decadal lists released
It’s the end of the year and the end of the decade – Compare the lists:
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