UBC Researchers develop test for vitamin B12 deficiency
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new testing method for vitamin B12 deficiency that only requires a single drop of blood. The technique is sensitive enough to work on anyone, including newborn babies.
“This minimally invasive approach helps us measure deficiency in an easier and more convenient way, especially in large samples of people,” says the author of the study, Yvonne Lamers, a professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and Canada Research Chair.
This method is important because it can be used to test and collect blood samples in rural or remote areas where elaborate lab equipment is inaccessible. Presently, the technique is being used in a research project in rural Indonesia.
With files from UBC News
University of Calgary opens energy research institute in Beijing
Collaborating with Chinese partners, the University of Calgary (U of C) has opened a jointly funded research institute in Beijing to take advantage of the country’s potential for gas development.
The goal, according to U of C president Elizabeth Cannon, “is to develop new innovative technology that we’ll not only bring back to Canada, but will help China move from a coal economy over to gas through unlocking some of their unconventional oil and gas reserves.”
One partner, industrial giant Kerui Group, will put $11.25 million in funding towards collaborative research and training programs to improve the extraction process for tight oil, natural gas hydrates, and oil-sands bitumen.
With files from The Globe and Mail
Musicians are better multitaskers
If you’ve ever had trouble trying to do homework while also watching TV, a new study from York University may make you want to add a guitar into the mix as well.
According to their research, trained musicians appear to have a “superior ability to maintain and manipulate competing information in memory, allowing for efficient global processing.”
The study was comprised of a series of tests that measured task-switching ability, and showed that musicians have a stronger ability to “shift flexibly between mental sets,” an advantage not found within other groups, including those who are bilingual.
With files from Pacific Standard
