Shortlist: 2015 Cundill Prize in historical literature
The six books vying for the 2015 Cundill Prize in historical literature were announced today by Professor Hudson Meadwell, Interim Dean of UU直播鈥檚 Faculty of Arts.
Perceived threat: Aboriginals and visible minorities
Canadian cities that have significant visible minority and Aboriginal populations have bigger police forces than those without. No matter what the actual level of crime.
UK10K genome project examines rare variants, disease
The largest population genome sequencing effort to date is published today in Nature. Based on data collected by the UK10K project, the study was designed to explore the contribution of rare genetic variants to human disease and its impact on risk factors. Rare genetic variants are changes in DNA that are carried only by relatively few people in a population.
Breakthrough in fight against muscle wasting diseases
It is estimated that half of all cancer patients suffer from a muscle wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cancer cachexia impairs quality of life and response to therapy, which increases morbidity and mortality of cancer patients. Currently, there is no approved treatment for muscle wasting but a new study from the Research Institute of the UU直播 Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and University of Alberta could be a game changer for patients, improving both quality of life and longevity. The research team discovered a new gene involved in muscle wasting that could be a good target for drug development.
Novel gene implicated in osteoporosis
NASA Telescopes Find Galaxy Cluster with Vibrant Heart
"Usually, the stars at the centers of galaxy clusters are old and dead, essentially fossils," said Tracy Webb of UU直播, Montreal, Canada, lead author of a new paper on the findings accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. "But we think the giant galaxy at the center of this cluster is furiously making new stars after merging with a smaller galaxy."
Choosing to end it all
Difficulty making good choices is one of the factors that make certain people vulnerable to suicide
Association between low vitamin D and MS
Low levels of vitamin D significantly increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study led by Dr. Brent Richards of the Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, and published in PLOS Medicine. This finding, the result of a sophisticated Mendelian randomization analysis, confirms a long-standing hypothesis that low vitamin D is strongly associated with an increased susceptibility to MS. This connection is independent of other factors associated with low vitamin D levels, such as obesity.
Harnessing the butterfly effect
The atmosphere is so unstable that a butterfly flapping its wings can, famously, change the course of weather patterns. The celebrated 鈥渂utterfly effect鈥� also means that the reliability of weather forecasts drops sharply beyond 10 days.
UU直播 students awarded largest Canadian scholarships
Ontario high school students Alexander Deans and Aditya Mohan have been named UU直播鈥檚 most recent recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships.
Gestational diabetes: A diabetes predictor in fathers
In a large study analyzing 20 years of data from Quebec, a team from the Research Institute of the UU直播 Health Centre (RI-MUHC) has demonstrated that gestational diabetes signals future diabetes risk not only in mothers, but also in fathers. The study was recently published in Diabetes Care.
Breakthrough in "marriage-broker" protein
Scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, at UU直播 and the UU直播 Health Centre, have made a breakthrough in understanding an important protein that appears to act as a kind of cellular 鈥渕arriage broker.鈥� The protein called Netrin1 brings cells together and maintains their healthy relationships. Netrin1 plays an essential role in the growth of the human organism, directing cell migration and the formation of cell circuits both at the embryo stage and after birth.
Pesticides: more toxic than previously thought?
Insecticides that are sprayed in orchards and fields across North America may be more toxic to spiders than scientists previously believed.
