Science News of the week June 26 2015

Beijing quadrupled in size in a decade, NASA finds

A new study by scientists using data from NASA’s QuikScat satellite has demonstrated a novel technique to quantify urban growth based on observed changes in physical infrastructure. The researchers used the technique to study the rapid urban growth in Beijing, China, finding that its physical area quadrupled between 2000 and 2009.

Analysis shows increased carbon intensity from Canadian oil sands

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory this week released a study that shows gasoline and diesel refined from Canadian oil sands have a higher carbon impact than fuels derived from conventional domestic crude sources.

New ‘Arctic-proof’ drone to track the effects of climate change

Drones generally get a bad press but there’s far more to them than destruction and war – for example drone technology can help save lives in disaster zones reaching places that no humans can tread. Now researchers from Laval University in Canada have revealed another surprising and positive drone application – tracking the impact of climate change in the Arctic.

More studies of breast milk could lead to healthier guts for everyone

(Medical Xpress)—A pair of researchers has published a Perspective piece in the journal Science, calling for more research into the ways breast milk impacts fetal development. In their paper, Katie Hinde, of Harvard University and Zachery Lewis with the University of California describe the current state of breast milk research and how it relates to fetal health and development and why they believe more research needs to be done.

Scientists identify a calcium channel essential for deep sleep

Sleep seems simple enough, a state of rest and restoration that almost every vertebrate creature must enter regularly in order to survive. But the brain responds differently to stimuli when asleep than when awake, and it is not clear what brain changes happen during sleep.

Online computer game can help shed weight and reduce food intake

A simple new computerized game could help people control their snacking impulses and lose weight. Psychologists at the University of Exeter and Cardiff University have today published a study that shows that participants lost an average of 0.7kg and consumed around 220 fewer calories a day whilst undergoing the week of training.

PTSD soldiers more likely to see a world full of threat

Soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may see a world more full of threat than those not suffering from the affliction, according to a study led by UBC and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto.

New study helps explain why a cleaner mouth could mean a healthier heart

New research from the University of Alberta shows that how clean you keep your mouth may affect your chances of developing heart disease.