Thursday, May 21, 2026

Vitamin C may help prevent cancer

University of Waterloo modelling study explores how antioxidants influence digestion‑related cancer risk

University of Waterloo

A new study from the University of Waterloo uses mathematical modelling to examine how Vitamin C affects chemical reactions in the digestive system that are linked to cancer development.

Over the last several decades, North American diets have seen a steady increase in exposure to nitrates and nitrites: compounds found in cured meats as well as fruits and vegetables grown using polluted soil and water. While nitrates and nitrites play important roles in neurological and heart health, in the stomach, they can undergo a chemical reaction known as “nitrosation” and form chemicals that many scientists suspect increase cancer risk.

“Since at least the 90s, researchers have been studying the link between cancer and these compounds, with conflicting results,” said Dr. Gordon McNicol, a post-doctoral researcher in applied mathematics and the first author of the study. “Our work suggests that the presence of dietary Vitamin C may help explain these inconsistencies.”

The team built a mathematical model of the salivary glands, stomach, small intestine and plasma, and simulated how nitrites and nitrates move through the body and change over time. Their model demonstrated that when Vitamin C is also present in food, such as leafy greens like spinach, which contain both Vitamin C and nitrate, it could decrease cancer risk.

The study also suggested that taking Vitamin C supplements after each meal could have a moderate positive effect in reducing the formation of nitrosation products associated with cancer risk from dietary nitrites and nitrates, such as those found in foods like bacon and salami.

The researchers hope these findings will support future nutrition research.

“This work provides a mechanistic roadmap for future clinical and laboratory studies by identifying the key interacting drivers of these potentially harmful chemical reactions, including nitrite exposure, antioxidant intake, meal timing, gastric conditions and oral microbiome activity,” said Dr. Anita Layton, professor of applied mathematics and Canada 150 researcher chair. “This model can help researchers design more targeted experiments and interventions, focusing on when and in whom nitrosation is most likely to occur.”

The research, “Vitamin C as a nitrosation inhibitor: A modelling study across dietary patterns and water quality,” appears in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.

Journal

Journal of Theoretical Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.jtbi.2026.112444

Lab fish cycles are hours out of sync with natural ones

Shifts in reproductive timing outside lab conditions may require reappraisal of previous research

Osaka Metropolitan University

Medaka eggs following ovulation — image:
Medaka egg-laying behaviour is susceptible to external factors.
view more
Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

When researchers moved medaka—a fish commonly used in experiments—out of the lab and into more natural conditions, their reproductive clock shifted by hours, suggesting that laboratory findings may not fully capture their natural reproductive timing.

Research using model organisms requires an understanding of their behavior and physiology in natural environments in order to accurately interpret experimental results. Medaka are widely used as a model organism in biological research because they are easy to maintain and spawn frequently.

However, most previous studies on medaka have been conducted under laboratory conditions, leading to concerns about how well these carefully controlled experiments reflect how medaka live and reproduce in the wild.

An Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) research group has been actively researching these differences. They previously found that medaka spawn late at night, which was different to what was observed in lab animals at the time.

Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Yuki Kondo and Professor Satoshi Awata at the Graduate School of Science at OMU were interested in whether any other reproductive behaviors were different between wild and laboratory conditions, especially the timing of ovulation—the process that leads to spawning.

When the researchers compared the timing of ovulation in medaka under laboratory conditions with those in tanks placed outdoors, they found that medaka kept in the semi-natural conditions ovulated approximately 3.5 hours earlier.

“Because we used the same strain of medaka in both environments, the difference in the timing of ovulation is likely attributable to differences in rearing conditions,” Dr. Kondo said. “In laboratory settings, artificial lighting is switched on and off abruptly, whereas in natural environments light levels change gradually at dawn and dusk. In addition, water temperature fluctuates on a daily basis outdoors. These environmental differences may contribute to the observed shift in ovulation timing.”

Their findings have important implications in research, as many biological discoveries are based on model organisms in controlled labs. The study shows that these results may not fully translate to natural conditions and that timing-dependent processes, like reproduction, are especially vulnerable.

“This study highlights the challenge of generalizing findings from animal experiments based solely on laboratory results,” Professor Awata concluded.

“Going forward, it will be important to identify the environmental factors that cause differences in behavior and ovulation timing between laboratory and natural settings,” he continued. “It is important to clarify how these factors regulate the timing of ovulation.”

The findings were published in Royal Society Open Science.

###

About OMU

Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Journal

Royal Society Open Science

DOI

10.1098/rsos.251946

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Temporal shifts in ovulation between laboratory and semi-natural environments in the model fish medaka

Do advance directives affect end-of-life care?

Wiley

Advance directives document patient preferences for future care, including end-of-life. An analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older patients with an advance directive that had been uploaded into the electronic health record at least six months before death were 25% less likely to experience potentially burdensome end-of-life care (19.9% versus 26.8%) and 31% less likely to have died in the hospital (23.2% versus 32.1%).

In the research, which was a secondary analysis of data on 2,850 US primary care patients aged ≥65 years who died during a randomized trial on the impact of advance care planning, these associations remained significant after taking into account patients’ demographics, comorbidities, and health care use. However, the associations were attenuated among patients with dementia and Black patients, emphasizing the need for greater attention and additional research on this topic in these populations.

"Advance directives are often discussed as legal documents, but our findings suggest that when these documents are accessible in the electronic health record well before death, they may be associated with less burdensome care and fewer hospital deaths among older adults," said corresponding author Danny L. Scerpella, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.70458

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society is the go-to journal for clinical aging research. We provide a diverse, interprofessional community of healthcare professionals with the latest insights on geriatrics education, clinical practice, and public policy — all supporting the high-quality, person-centered care essential to our well-being as we age.

About Wiley     
Wiley is a global leader in authoritative content and research intelligence for the advancement of scientific discovery, innovation, and learning. With more than 200 years at the center of the scholarly ecosystem, Wiley combines trusted publishing heritage with AI-powered platforms to transform how knowledge is discovered, accessed, and applied. From individual researchers and students to Fortune 500 R&D teams, Wiley enables the transformation of scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact. From knowledge to impact—Wiley is redefining what's possible in science and learning. Visit us at Wiley.com and Investors.Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Journal

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

DOI

10.1111/jgs.70458

Article Title

A Cohort Study of Advance Directives in Electronic Health Records and End-of-Life Outcomes

Article Publication Date

20-May-2026

Fast-food waste driven by wrong orders: study

A review into food waste in Australia’s quick service restaurants has found order mistakes are the biggest driver of food waste, with better staff training a key part of the solution

RMIT University

A review into food waste in Australia’s quick service restaurants has found order mistakes are the biggest driver of food waste, with better staff training a key part of the solution.

The quick service restaurant sector includes fast-food and takeaway outlets that serve quickly prepared meals with minimal table service.

Australia loses $36.6 billion to wasted food each year – about 1.4% of GDP – eroding value across the supply chain through inefficiencies that can be reduced.

The foodservice sector generates 1.2 million tonnes of food waste annually with hospitality contributing over 324,000 tonnes. Takeaway outlets, including quick service restaurants, accounts for 40% of hospitality food waste.

The Quick Service Restaurant Sector Action Plan was developed by RMIT University for End Food Waste Australia to help businesses mitigate back-of-house food waste.

Researchers surveyed owners, store managers and employees, and observed in-store operations to identify waste hotspots and their root causes.

Managers reported the most-wasted food types were buns, fries and vegetables.

Alongside wrong orders or returns, overordering, overpreparing and dropped or spilled food were also reported as major causes.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Li Ping Thong from RMIT said frontline workers need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to identify, prevent and manage food waste.

“Staff want to cut waste and frequent training can empower and motivate them,” she said.

Although 70% of survey respondents reported receiving food waste training, only 21% said they received ongoing or refresher training after the initial onboarding.

Solutions for reducing waste

The research found the more training staff had received, including ongoing training, the more motivated they were to act on food waste.

Respondents who had both initial and refresher training were more likely to be motivated to reduce food waste.

Those with no training or one-off induction were more likely to be unmotivated, ignore waste issues or be unsure how to respond.

Busy and quiet periods were ranked as the most wasteful times of day, suggesting outlets need tailored controls for both extremes.

Poor storage conditions and faulty equipment were also major contributors to waste, as were strict safety policies that often force surplus food to be discarded rather than donated.

The quick service restaurant sector is diverse but concentrated, with the top five companies accounting for 43% of the market.

The research identified practical recommendations that can be applied across different operational models and store environments.

Industry Director at End Food Waste Australia, Charlton Honig, said appropriate and regular training for staff is key.

“This project has shown the significant impact of training teams on ordering processes and the true cost of food waste,” he said.

“By cutting down on ordering mistakes and educating staff, quick service restaurants can keep more value in their business. It's a win-win – great for profits and the environment."

The report also recommends making food waste metrics part of performance evaluations for managers and staff, while celebrating food waste reduction wins.

Future research could compare objective, quantifiable waste across the industry, by using food waste tracking sheets and other data collection tools.

The Quick Service Restaurant Sector Action Plan, with RMIT co-authors Caroline Francis, Ruby Chan, Karli Verghese, Sam Quirk and Li Ping Thong, is published by RMIT University and End Food Waste Australia. It’s part of a wider suite of Sector Action Plans. Co-funded by the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority and the Queensland Government.

"Invasional mutualism" between honey bees and myrtle rust pathogen

Pensoft Publishers

image:
Apis mellifera on leaves with myrtle rust.
view more
Credit: Geoff S Pegg.

New research published in NeoBiota has found that the Western honey bee - an introduced species to Australia - and the devastating, invasive plant fungus known as myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) may have formed a mutually beneficial relationship known as an "invasional mutualism."

Myrtle rust is notorious for devastating ecologically and culturally significant native plants in the Myrtaceae family, putting 17% of Australia’s endemic vegetation at risk. While rust fungi generally rely strictly on wind to spread, researchers discovered that bees may actively forage on the bright yellow fungus spores, packing them into their pollen baskets and carrying them back to the hive just as they would regular pollen.

Through a series of experiments, the team made three significant findings. Firstly, the rust spores proved to be quite nutritious. They contained over 22% protein and all 10 essential amino acids, meeting the threshold required for bee colonies to survive. In fact, the fungus matched the nutritional quality of high-value floral pollen, like willow pollen. In laboratory feeding trials, larvae raised on a diet of myrtle rust spores grew up perfectly healthy, developing at the same speed and reaching similar body weights as bees raised on a traditional high-quality pollen diet. As the researchers explain:

These findings suggest that spore foraging may not be an aberration, but a viable foraging strategy for honey bees.

And perhaps the most alarming discovery is that the myrtle rust spores remain viable and capable of causing new plant infections for at least nine days inside a beehive which could pose significant biosecurity risks.

A Devastating Ecological Feedback Loop

This discovery challenges the assumption that invasive species always act independently, and it carries major environmental consequences. As myrtle rust kills off keystone taxa in the Myrtaceae family, such as eucalypts, paperbarks, and other ecologically and culturally significant species, particularly in Australia, fewer flowers and less pollen become available for bees to forage on. Beyond the direct biodiversity loss, as the fungus kills these plants, fewer flowers and less pollen are available for the bees.

"Under such conditions, bees may increasingly turn to alternative protein sources, such as fungal urediniospores," the researchers explain. This could set off a devastating ecological feedback loop. "Over time, this dynamic may destabilise plant-pollinator networks and forest regeneration, particularly in regions with high Myrtaceae endemism." They add: "While generalist foragers like A. mellifera may buffer their colony health by switching to spores or non-Myrtaceae pollen sources, the long-term ecological cost could be substantial, especially for specialist pollinators that lack such flexibility."

The risks extend beyond ecosystems. Because spores remain viable inside a hive for over a week, commercial beehives - regularly transported across the country over three to seven days to pollinate crops - now represent a significant pathway for human-assisted spread of the pathogen.

As the lead author, Sacchi Shin-Clayton (University of Cambridge) emphasises:

Apis mellifera is an introduced species used as a commercial pollination agent worldwide, and shifting honey bee colonies between agricultural sites to boost pollination has become a standard practice. This reliance on honey bee colonies and shifting between multiple sites is quite concerning, given the demonstrated interaction between A. mellifera and myrtle rust, and its longevity within colonies.

Despite this, current biosecurity strategies for managing myrtle rust do not account for the movement of commercial beehives, leaving a critical gap in disease management approaches.

We propose that honey bees be explicitly considered in both epidemiological models and the formulation of management and containment strategies,
- the researchers urge.

Recognising pollinators as potential vectors of invasive plant pathogens is an essential next step - one that could prove critical for protecting Australia's vulnerable native forests.

Original source:

Shin-Clayton S, Mortensen AN, Beggs JR, Buxton MN, Hauxwell C, Bateson MF, Jochym M, Pegg GS, Pattemore DE (2026) Honey bees as potential vectors of the invasive rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii: nutritional mutualism and implications for pathogen spread. NeoBiota 106: 75-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.169027

Researcher taking samples from a beehive.

Researchers taking samples from a beehive.

Credit

Caroline Hauxwell

Journal

NeoBiota

DOI

10.3897/neobiota.106.169027

Article Title

Honey bees as potential vectors of the invasive rust pathogen Austropuccinia psidii: nutritional mutualism and implications for pathogen spread

Thames microplastics research targets policy reform

New River Thames monitoring project aims to shape future environmental regulation

University of East London

Researchers at the University of East London (UEL) are launching a new study into microplastic pollution in the River Thames in a bid to influence environmental policy and water quality.

The project, led by Dr Ria Devereux from UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute, will gather data from locations stretching from Teddington to Southend to assess how pollution levels are changing and what impact climate pressures may be having on the river system.

Building on more than three years of continuous monitoring and research, the study will combine new sampling with existing datasets to provide updated evidence on microplastic contamination across the Thames.

The research team includes Dr Ravindra Jayaratne, Reader in Coastal Engineering at UEL’s School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE), whose international work on flood resilience and environmental modelling has helped inform coastal policy and engineering standards in the UK and overseas.

The researchers say the findings could help shape future discussions around wastewater management, river protection and plastic pollution policy at local and national level.

Dr Devereux’s research into microplastics in the River Thames has already attracted international attention while her work has also been referenced in UK Government and environmental advisory reports.

The new project will involve engagement with stakeholders including the Environment Agency, DEFRA, the Port of London Authority, water companies and environmental organisations.

Dr Devereux said:

“The River Thames is one of the most internationally recognised urban rivers in the world, yet we are still learning about the scale and complexity of microplastic pollution within it.

“This project is about providing robust scientific evidence that can support better environmental decision-making and help policymakers understand where interventions may be needed most.”

The study will also examine how storm activity and changing environmental conditions may influence microplastic levels across the river system.

Alongside scientific analysis, the project will produce policy briefings and bring together regulators, environmental organisations and policymakers through a dedicated stakeholder workshop hosted at UEL’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability.

Dr Jayaratne said:

“Environmental challenges such as microplastic pollution require long-term evidence, interdisciplinary collaboration and strong engagement with policymakers.

“By combining environmental monitoring with engineering and policy expertise, we hope this work will help support more informed environmental management and future regulatory discussions.”

Dr Devereux added:

“Microplastic pollution is not just an environmental issue - it is increasingly linked to wider discussions around public health, water quality and climate resilience.

“We want this work to help bridge the gap between scientific research and practical policy action.”

Can aerobic exercise lessen the health effects of exposure to nanoplastics?

Wiley

Using female zebrafish as a model, researchers have found that aerobic exercise may influence various connections in the body to lessen the damaging health impacts of environmental nanoplastics.

In the study, which is published in The FASEB Journal, adult female zebrafish were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics for 21 days, with or without moderate aerobic exercise.

“Once ingested, nanoplastics may cross epithelial barriers and accumulate in multiple organs, including the liver, heart, brain, and ovary, eliciting oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption,” the authors wrote. “Among these targets, the ovary appears particularly susceptible, yet the mechanisms underlying nanoplastic-induced ovarian accumulation and toxicity remain poorly characterized.”

Exposure to nanoplastics alone caused significant ovarian accumulation of particle-like structures, elevated oxidative stress, increased follicular cell death, and disrupted reproductive hormones. It also induced anxiety‑ and depression-like behaviors in tank and shoaling tests, accompanied by elevated stress hormone levels. In contrast, concurrent aerobic exercise lessened these effects.

Investigators also found that aerobic exercise counteracted gut microbe imbalances caused by nanoplastics. Analyses linked these microbial shifts to enhanced fatty acid and tryptophan metabolism, which correlated with improved neuroendocrine health.

The findings indicate that aerobic exercise may mitigate nanoplastic-induced neuroendocrine dysfunction via gut–ovary–brain connections.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1096/fj.202600941R

About the Journal
The FASEB Journal, the flagship publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), leads in publishing groundbreaking multidisciplinary research in biology and biomedical sciences. It spans all levels of biological organization, from molecular to population studies. The journal drives advances in basic, translational, pre-clinical, and early clinical research. Known for its rigorous peer-review process, The FASEB Journal is dedicated to advancing high-quality scientific discoveries and shaping the future of science.

Journal

The FASEB Journal

DOI

10.1096/fj.202600941R

Article Title

Lifestyle modulation of xenobiotic stress: aerobic exercise attenuates nanoplastic-associated neuroendocrine dysfunction via a gut-ovary-brain continuum

Article Publication Date

20-May-2026

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Vitamin C may help prevent cancer

Journal

DOI

Lab fish cycles are hours out of sync with natural ones

Journal

DOI

Method of Research

Subject of Research

Article Title

Do advance directives affect end-of-life care?

Journal

DOI

Article Title

Article Publication Date

Fast-food waste driven by wrong orders: study

Solutions for reducing waste

"Invasional mutualism" between honey bees and myrtle rust pathogen

A Devastating Ecological Feedback Loop

Researcher taking samples from a beehive.

Researchers taking samples from a beehive.

Credit

Journal

DOI

Article Title

Thames microplastics research targets policy reform

Can aerobic exercise lessen the health effects of exposure to nanoplastics?

Journal

DOI

Article Title

Article Publication Date

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