A gut reaction

Queen's researchers discover nanosilver may destroy some good bacteria in your gut

2014-11-19

(Press-News.org) Queen's University biologist Virginia Walker and Queen's SARC Awarded Postdoctoral Fellow Pranab Das have shown nanosilver, which is often added to water purification units, can upset your gut. The discovery is important as people are being exposed to nanoparticles every day. Nanosilver is also used in biomedical applications, toys, sunscreen, cosmetics, clothing and other items. "We were surprised to see significant upset of the human gut community at the lowest concentration of nanosilver in this study," says Dr. Das. "To our knowledge, this is the first time anyone has looked at this. It is important as we are more and more exposed to nanoparticles in our everyday lives through different routes such as inhalation, direct contact or ingestion." To conduct the research, Drs. Walker and Das utilized another Queen's discovery, rePOOPulate, created by Elaine Petrof (Medicine). rePOOPulate is a synthetic stool substitute, which Dr. Petrof designed to treat C. difficile infections. In this instance, rather than being used as therapy, the synthetic stool was used to examine the impact of nanoparticles on the human gut. The research showed that the addition of nanosilver reduced metabolic activity in the synthetic stool sample, perturbed fatty acids and significantly changed the population of bacteria. This information can help lead to an understanding of how nanoparticles could impact our "gut ecosystem." "There is no doubt that the nanosilver shifted the bacterial community, but the impact of nanosilver ingestion on our long-term health is currently unknown," Dr. Walker says. "This is another area of research we need to explore." The findings by Drs. Das and Walker, Julie AK McDonald (Kingston General Hospital), Dr. Petrof (KGH) and Emma Allen-Vercoe (University of Guelph) were published in the Journal of Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology.

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Alzheimer's disease: Molecular signals cause brain cells to switch into a hectic state

2014-11-19

This news release is available in German. The research team also showed that the pathological changes of the astrocytes can be mitigated by pharmacological treatment. The triggering molecules turned out to be energy carriers of the cell such as ATP: These molecules can induce the astrocytes to switch into a hyperactive state, which is characterized by sudden fluctuations in the concentration of calcium. As the researchers describe in the scientific journal Nature Communications, their study suggests a novel potential approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In ...

Residential treatment may be first-line option for opioid-dependent young adults

2014-11-19

Residential treatment may be an appropriate first-line option for young adults who are dependent on opioid drugs - including prescription painkillers and heroin - that may result in higher levels of abstinence than does the outpatient treatment that is currently the standard of care. A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Services found that a month-long, 12-step-based residential program with strong linkage to community-based follow-up care, enabled almost 30 percent of opioid-dependent participants to remain abstinent a year later. ...

Mindfulness techniques can help protect pregnant women against depression

2014-11-19

Pregnant women with histories of major depression are about 40 percent less likely to relapse into depression if they practice mindfulness techniques--such as meditation, breathing exercises and yoga--along with cognitive therapy, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. About 30 percent of pregnant women who have struggled with depression in the past will again become depressed in the months before and after birth, according to past research. In the new study, published in the journal Archives of Women's Mental Health, the research team found ...

Study finds wide variation in quality, content of clinical cancer guidelines

2014-11-19

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- What's the best way to treat rectal cancer? Consult any of five top clinical guidelines for rectal cancer and you will get a different answer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. They looked at clinical practice guidelines for rectal cancer from five highly regarded organizations in the United States, Europe and Canada. The guidelines, which were all published within the last six years, were assessed for overall quality based on how they were developed. The tool used gives a percentage ...

As winter approaches, switching to cleaner heating oils could prevent health problems

2014-11-19

With temperatures dipping, homeowners are firing up their heaters. But systems that require heating oil release fine particles outside that could have harmful health effects. Regulations to curb these emissions in New York City, however, could save hundreds of lives, a new study has found. The report in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology may have ramifications for the entire northeast, the country's largest consumer of heating oil. Iyad Kheirbek and colleagues note that when some people breathe in fine particulate matter from the air, they suffer from ...

Fathers' engagement with baby depends on mother

2014-11-19

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Fathers' involvement with their newborns depends on mothers' preparation for parenthood, even for fathers who show the most parenting skills, a new study suggests. Researchers found that fathers who showed high levels of intuitive parenting were more involved than other fathers with their infants at 3 months of age - but only if the mothers showed lower levels of intuitive parenting. Intuitive parenting involves subtle, nonconscious behaviors -- like cooing and making eye contact with the baby - that have been shown to stimulate and engage infants. It ...

Suffering from constipation? Self-acupressure can help

2014-11-19

About 19 percent of North Americans suffer from constipation, with the digestive condition being more common among women, non-whites, people older than 60, those who are not physically active and the poor. The costs are significant. Hospital costs to treat the condition were estimated at $4.25 billion in 2010 alone. Constipation can also lead to depression, lower quality of life and a drop in work productivity. Treatments include use of laxatives, increased intake of dietary fiber and fluid, and exercise. But new research from the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine ...

Handheld ultrasound technology can help medical students improve their physical diagnosis

2014-11-19

A new study by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that training medical students to use a handheld ultrasound device can enhance the accuracy of their physical diagnosis. The study was presented November 18 at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014. The study by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai included a 90-minute, personalized lesson for 64 second-year medical students in how to use handheld echocardiography technology, with a review of a 3D cardiac anatomy model, video images of normal echocardiograms, and the opportunity ...

Speedy heart transplant for kids better than waiting for perfect match

2014-11-19

Children who receive a heart transplant as soon as a suitable donor is available are predicted to have better quality-adjusted survival -- even if they have antibodies that may attack the new heart -- than children who wait for a donor to which they do not have antibodies according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014. When the costs of care while waiting for an urgent transplant are considered, transplantation with the first suitable heart is also cheaper than waiting for a better-matched organ, researchers said. In the ...

Surgeons use 3-D printed model of heart to treat patients with disorders

2014-11-19

An experimental 3-dimensional printed model of the heart may help surgeons treat patients born with complicated heart disorders, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014. Most heart surgeons use 2D images taken by X-ray, ultrasound and MRI for surgical planning. However, these images may not reveal complex structural complications in the heart's chambers that occur when heart disease is present at birth (congenital heart defects), as opposed to developing later in life within a structurally normal heart. But with standard ...

A gut reaction

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