A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that adding folic acid to flours significantly reduced congenital neural tube deformation cases in Canada. The incidence dropped from 1.58 per 1,000 births between 1993 and 1997 to 0.86 between 2000 and 2002.
Researchers at Université Laval have successfully developed a highly reflective liquid mirror capable of functioning under harsh lunar conditions. The discovery, published in Nature, brings the project one step closer to building a liquid telescope on the moon, which could be up to 1,000 times more sensitive than current space telescopes.
A study published in the Journal of Physiology found that adding marine omega-3 fatty acids to a steer's diet increased sensitivity to insulin, improving protein metabolism. This could lead to alternative methods for increasing muscle mass in animal farming.
A commonly used anti-aging compound has been found to cause a pathological reaction in skin cells, slowing down cell division and inducing the death of fibroblasts. Researchers are now urging caution and calling for more research into the compound's pharmacological and toxicological effects.
Researchers successfully produced neurons in vitro using stem cells from adult human skin, a breakthrough that could lead to revolutionary advances in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's. The method used involves extracting neuron precursor cells from skin samples and cultivating them in an appropriate environment.
Researchers at Université Laval found that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements while on a low-calorie diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study, which lasted 15 weeks, showed significant drops in LDL cholesterol and increases in HDL cholesterol.
A team of international scientists has discovered a new group of microscopic organisms in the Arctic Ocean, which have diverged from known organisms more than land plants and animals. These 'picobiliphytes' are highly fluorescent and transform light into biomass, highlighting the ocean's complex biodiversity.
A study by Université Laval researchers found that using an activated-carbon filtering pitcher can effectively reduce disinfection by-products, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, in tap water. The results show that the filter can reduce THM concentrations by up to 92% and HAA concentrations by 66%.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women with breast implants have a 73% higher suicide rate compared to the general population. However, the study also revealed no increase in mortality risk among these women.
A team of researchers has achieved a significant breakthrough in treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy by successfully transplanting healthy muscle cells into patients, showing promise for increasing the production of the missing protein dystrophin. The new clinical trials aim to further assess the treatment's effectiveness and measure ...
A recent study by Université Laval found that children who slept less than 10 hours a night were 3.5 times more at risk of being overweight than those who slept 12 or more hours.