Vegethletics: Are you running on plants?

Vegethletics: Are you running on plants?: The ‘no meat athlete’ movement is showing that animal protein isn’t the only track available to sportspeople – and in turn this is smashing old perceptions about what it is to be vegan and vegetarian, says the Vegan Society.

Broccoli could counter obesity related liver disease: Mouse data

Broccoli could counter obesity related liver disease: Mouse data: Adding broccoli to an unhealthy diet could help stave of obesity-related liver disease and cancer, say researchers backed by the US National Cancer Institute.

ZIKA VIRUS LINKED TO BRAIN DISORDER IN ADULTS.

Zika has already been linked with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacks peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis that can in some cases require patients to rely on respirators for breathing. Scientists in Brazil have uncovered a new brain disorder associated with Zika infections in adults: an autoimmune syndrome called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, that attacks the brain and spinal cord. The new discovery now shows Zika may provoke an immune attack on the central nervous system as well and this findings add to the growing list of neurological damage associated with Zika. According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that, in addition to Guillain-Barre, Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly, though conclusive proof may take months or years. Microcephaly is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems. In addition to autoimmune disease, some researchers also have reported patients with Zika infections developing encephalitis and myelitis – nerve disorders typically caused by direct infections in nerve cells. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, typically occurs in the aftermath of an infection, causing intense swelling in the brain and spinal cord that damages myelin, the white protective coating surrounding nerve fibers. It results in weakness, numbness and loss of balance and vision, symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis. The scope of study is small, it may provide evidence that in this case, the virus has different effects on the brain than those identified in current studies,” Dr. Maria Lucia Brito, a neurologist at Restoration Hospital in Recife, Brazil. The study involved 151 patients who visited her hospital between December 2014 and June 2015. All had been infected with arboviruses, the family of viruses that includes Zika, dengue and chikungunya. Six of these patients developed symptoms consistent with autoimmune disorders. Of these six, four had Guillain-Barre and two had ADEM. In both ADEM cases, brain scans showed damage to white matter. ADEM symptoms typically last about six months. All six patients tested positive for Zika, and all had lingering effects after being discharged from the hospital, with five patients reporting motor dysfunction, one with vision problems, and one with cognitive decline. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/04/brazilian-scientists-find-new-zika-linked-brain-disorder-in-adults/#3W9X77ZDhHxA6TKB.99

Investor group launches campaign to curb antibiotic use in food | NewsDaily

Investor group launches campaign to curb antibiotic use in food | NewsDaily

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) :antibacterial soap linked with antimicrobial resistance.

Recent research has shown that antimicrobial compounds used in a wide range of soaps and toothpastes can increase the risk of infection, alter the gut microbiome and help to breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria. . 

  These common agents such as triclosan and triclocarban are useful in hospitals, and can kill off bacteria when used as part of a long wash, but are no more effective than normal soap during a 30-second wash in warm water. 

 New studies have shown that exposure to triclosan, which easily enters the body through ingestion and absorption, can make it harder for your body to resist the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, while triclocarban, used in some bar soaps, has been found to alter the microbiomes of mother and baby rats in studies. 

 There are specific circumstances in which those antimicrobials can be useful, civil engineer Patrick McNamara of Marquette University in Milwaukee says,it may be useful to doctors scrubbing for minutes at a time before a surgery or for hospital patients who can’t necessarily scrub with soap but could soak in a chemical bath.

 Triclosan and triclocarban kill off bacteria only during long washes, but most people only clean their hands for a few seconds. There’s evidence that there is no improvement with using soaps that have these chemicals relative to washing your hands under warm water for 30 seconds with soaps without these chemicals. 

 In the meantime, researchers seem to be digging up more and more dirt on the chemicals, particularly triclosan. These antimicrobials are widely used  not just hand soaps, but body washes, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics, household cleaners, medical equipment, and more. it’s just as pervasive in people as it is in homes and clinics. 

Triclosan easily enters bodies by ingestion (think toothpaste) or skin absorption. It’s commonly found in people’s urine, blood and breast milk. Microbiologist Thomas Sharpton of Oregon State University and his colleagues are currently studying triclosan’s effect on the gut microbiomes of zebra fish, a model organism for vertebrate development. The preliminary data suggest that the antimicrobial causes swift, sweeping changes in the zebra fish gut microbiome, altering both diversity and community structure. In a 2014 study, McNamara’s research team found that triclosan messed with the microbial communities that break down sewage, in some cases sabotaging their ability to digest the sludge. 

The chemical also caused a spike in the presence of a gene called mexB in the sewage microbes. This gene codes for a pump that allows bacteria to simply kick out triclosan before it can kill them off. This pump, McNamara hypothesizes, also spits out common prescription antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin. In experiments, bacteria with mexB were resistant to antibiotics. 

 In a January study, McNamara, his graduate student Daniel Carey, and colleagues found that triclocarban had the same effect as triclosan—it also disrupts the microbial communities that digest sewage and spurs bacteria to become resistant to drugs. 

The waste water treatment plants can be a source of these superbugs can leak out into waterways, wildlife, and potentially back to people. 

 read more http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/04/mounting-data-suggest-antibacterial-soaps-do-more-harm-than-good/

IMPROVED METHODS TO CONTROL PORCINE EPIDEMIC DIARRHEA VIRUS.

A university of Nebraska–Lincoln research by Amy Millmier Schmidt, assistant professor and livestock bioenvironmental engineer in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering., is giving swine producers and veterinarians potential methods to manage and prevent the spread of PEDv. PEDv is spread among pigs through the fecal to oral route. It causes severe diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration, typically less than one day following exposure. While older pigs will experience performance losses once infected with PEDv, the virus carries a nearly 100 percent mortality rate in pre-weaned piglets. The virus is highly virulent, which makes controlling its spread within and among swine operations particularly challenging. The PEDv has a similar effect on older pigs as the stomach flu does on humans; the signs include decrease feed intake, loss of weight and are non productivity. The loss of productivity results in an economic loss for the industry because it takes longer for the animals to reach market weight. The control methods are as follows: 1)Carcass removal One area the group has been investigating is composting carcasses testing positive for PEDv. Burial is common practice with PEDv mortalities, which may be problematic because the virus thrives in cool, moist conditions. To ascertain whether composting could eliminate the infectious virus, the researchers constructed three compost bins in which PEDv-positive pigs were composted in biosecure rooms on UNL’s East Campus. Sensors were placed inside the compost piles to monitor temperature and organic matter, and water was added to the bins, as needed, throughout two composting cycles. Testing of the compost material at the conclusion of the cycles found no evidence of PEDv. Properly handling and disposing of mortalities is a crucial step in reducing the risk of virus transmission. The team believe that composting is an effective method to dispose of on-farm mortalities and this will help limit the spread of PEDv when the piles are constructed and managed properly to achieve internal pile temperatures of 120 to 130 degrees F. 2) Changing pH levels in manure Schmidt and her colleagues also looked at adding lime to manure containing the PED virus to determine if a significant pH change in the manure would eliminate the infectious virus. Results revealed that treating manure with lime to raise the manure pH to 10 for at least one hour will eliminate infectious virus in the manure, though Schmidt suspects that a lower pH may be equally effective. Testing during the past several months has revealed that this virus is extremely sensitive to pH, and researchers suspect that it may not be necessary to raise the manure pH all the way to 10 to inactivate the virus. However, they won’t be able to confirm this until additional experiments are completed. 3) Farm bio security The team's current focus is on demonstrating and promoting disease control and prevention measures on-farm and working with pork producers to create a culture of vigilant preparedness and prevention to minimize impacts of future disease outbreaks. All business decisions come down to economics so the team wants to demonstrate that the cost of investing in on-farm bio security practices is far less than the costs associated with lost productivity, decontamination, and remediation of a farm following a disease outbreak. source wattagnet.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: Rats linked to depression in man.

VETERINARY MEDICINE: Rats linked to depression in man. A study by Danielle German, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Bloomberg School the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows the link between rat problems and depression in man. Residents of Baltimore's low-income neighborhoods who believe rats are a big problem where they live are significantly more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms such as sadness and anxiety. The same residents with rodent problems on their block are also plagued by other pressing urban issues such as vacant housing, drug sales on the street and the risk of being robbed and beaten up. The study found that the relationship between rats and depression is not explained by these other neighborhood conditions. The findings are published in the Journal of Community Psychology. This study provides very strong evidence that rats are an under appreciated stressor that affects how people feel about their lives in low-income neighborhoods. The good news is it's modifiable. If something is done to reduce the number of rats in these neighborhoods. VETERINARY MEDICINE: Rats linked to depression in man. Every time researchers would talk to residents of low-income neighborhoods about the troubling public health issues they face, German says, they expected to hear about drugs and HIV and access to healthy food. Time and again, she says, they heard about rats and trash. Many cities conduct a regular rat census or survey residents about urban conditions, but this is one of the first studies to examine the psychological toll of an entrenched rat population. VETERINARY MEDICINE: Rats linked to depression in man. The research by German and Carl A. Latkin, PhD, a professor at the Bloomberg School, analyzed data collected from 448 Baltimore residents recruited from impoverished neighborhoods between March 2010 and December 2011. Those who consider rats to be a big problem were 72 percent more likely to experience acute depressive symptoms than those who live in similar neighborhoods where rats are not a big problem, the researchers say. They found that people in rat-infested neighborhoods had the same strongly negative perceptions of rats as people in other neighborhoods, but had much more frequent encounters. Rats are typically found where they have access to food and shelter, finding trash to eat and vacant or poorly kept up housing in which to live in low-income urban areas.Read more https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160316094308.htm. #trash # rats # depression