Researchers take two steps toward green fuel

An international collaboration led by scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) , Japan, has developed a two-step method to more efficiently break down carbohydrates into their single sugar components, a critical process in producing green fuel.

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Maine legalizes assisted suicide

(HealthDay)—Maine has become the eighth state to legalize medically assisted suicide.

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Two British patients die from eating hospital food

Two Britons have died of food poisoning after eating pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, UK health authorities said on Friday, in a listeria outbreak that has already killed three people in British hospitals.

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NOAA: 279 dolphins dead on Gulf Coast, triple usual number

At least 279 dolphins have stranded across much of the U.S. Gulf Coast since Feb. 1, triple the usual number, and about 98 percent of them have died, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday.

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Still an unmet need: New therapeutic targets in Alport syndrome

Alport syndrome (AS) is a hereditary type IV collagen disease that leads to progressive proteinuria, renal fibrosis, and kidney failure. Depending on the mutated gene and the pattern of inheritance, there are three types of AS. Mutations in COL4A5 cause severe disease in males and a disease of variable severity (but usually much less severe) in females. Mutations in COL4A3 and COL4A4 are the cause of the autosomal forms of AS. Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in COL4A3 or COL4A4 are the cause of autosomal recessive AS (ARAS), while a single mutation in either of these genes causes autosomal dominant AS (ADAS).

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Indigestion remedy slows kidney function decline and improves survival in late-stage CKD

As chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses, the kidneys become less able to maintain a healthy balance of acids in the body. To maintain healthy acid levels, people with CKD are treated with alkaline substances such as sodium bicarbonate, also commonly used to neutralize heartburn and indigestion. The UBI study shows that sodium bicarbonate halves the risk of kidney disease progression, the likelihood of needing dialysis or transplantation) and overall mortality in people with CKD.

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