Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

Although the interaction between our brain and gut has been studied for years, its complexities run deeper than initially thought. It seems that our minds are, in some part, controlled by the bacteria in our bowels.

The gut has defenses against pathogens, but, at the same time, it encourages the survival and growth of "healthy" gut bacteria.

The vast majority of these single-celled visitors are based in the colon, where no less than 1 trillion reside in each gram of intestinal content.

Estimating the number of bacterial guests in our gut is challenging; to date, the best guess is that 40 trillion bacteria call our intestines home - partially dependent on the size of your last bowel movement (poop's major ingredient is bacteria).

Read more: Gut Bacteria And The Brain: Are We Controlled By Microbes?

How much sway can a microbe hold? Bacterial influence over human psychology is slowly coming
into focus.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Support Microfinance IPO Allotment by Lottery, 10 Kitta Shares to Elligible Applicants !

Support Microfinance Bittiya Sanstha Ltd. (SMFBL) has allocated its Initial Public Offering (IPO) today, Wednesday. According to NMB Capital Ltd., the issue manager of the microfinance, out of 226,932 applicants, only 16,740 applicants are allotted 10 units of mandatory shares through the lottery system.

Of the total 226,932 IPO share applications worthing Rs. 2.24 billion, 210,192 were canceled. The microfinance headquartered at Itahari issued 180,000 units of IPO shares to general public worth Rs. 18 million from 4th to 9th October 2017. The issuance was oversubscribed by 27.69 times.

Out of the total shares, the company allocated 3,600 units (2%) and 9000 units (5%) of shares for employees and mutual funds respectively.

As per the statistics provided by NMB Capital, only 7.38% of the total applicants are provided the shares.

Currently, the company has a paid-up capital of Rs. 42 million. After this IPO issuance, it will reach Rs. 60 million. The microfinance earned a net profit of Rs. 4.8 million in the last Fiscal Year (FY). The company has Rs. 3.119 million in its reserve fund.

Check the link below to see the result at MeroLagani Site:

IPO RESULT LINK

Check the link below to see the result at ShareSansar Site:

IPO RESULT LINK

Check the link below to see the result at Bizpati Site:

IPO RESULT LINK

Check the link below to see the result at NMB Capital site:

IPO RESULT LINK

Check the link below to see all allottees list in excel format:

IPO RESULT FULL ALLOTTEES LIST (excel)

Check the link below to see/download all allottees list in pdf format:

IPO RESULT FULL ALLOTTEES LIST (pdf)

Check the link below to search if your name in the the non-allottees list:

IPO INVALID LIST

ShareUpdateNepal: Wednesday 8th November 2017

Best Vitamins for Gastritis !

Gastritis is a condition where the inner lining of the stomach gets inflamed. It is often caused by consumption of excessive alcohol and even due to usage of anti-inflammatory drugs. It is mainly caused by the bacterial infections and several autoimmune disorders can lead to gastritis.

The symptoms of gastritis are indigestion, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Taking a multivitamin supplement is highly beneficial for those people suffering with gastritis. By eating a balanced diet and reducing stress, one can treat gastritis. Vitamins and minerals which function as antioxidant are best remedies to improve the digestive health.

Essential Vitamins For Gastritis

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for the functioning of several metabolic reactions in animals and plants. Since it cannot be produced in the body, vitamin C must be taken from foods. Vitamin C deficiency can cause scurvy in humans.

This vitamin helps the body to absorb calcium and iron salts in the body. And they help to aggravate the digestive process and can reduce the irritation in the inner lining of the stomach. People who take vitamin C can control and cure gastritis. Vitamin C is present in a variety of foods and some of them are oranges, guavas, green peppers, parsley, broccoli and papayas.

2. Vitamin A

Vitamin A plays an important role in many functions that take place in our body. It also functions as retinoic acid, which is an essential hormone required for growth of epithelial cells. Vitamin A is required for various intrinsic processes.

It helps in promoting vision and enhances immune system functioning. Beta-carotene which is a precursor of vitamin A is an antioxidant, that can be obtained from many foods. It is recommended to take vitamin A in small doses and foods that rich in vitamin A are sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, paprika, turnips, lettuce and apricots.

3. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a water soluble vitamin, which helps in the functioning of several enzymatic reactions. It is also involved in different metabolisms and synthesis of hemoglobin. Pyridoxal phosphate is the active form of vitamin B6 to act as a co-enzyme with other enzymes that are particularly involved in metabolic activities.

Vitamin B6 is also an antioxidant, helps in controlling the levels of homocysteine and improves digestive functioning. The food sources that are having vitamin B6 are avocados, meat, nuts, poultry, whole grains, bananas and legumes.

4. Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin that functions the nervous system and helps in the formation of blood. It is a part of the B vitamins and is water soluble. Vitamin B12 is also required to make DNA and the genetic material in the cells.

Naturally vitamin B12 is bound to the proteins and only when the stomach releases hydrochloric acid, vitamin B12 gets separated. People with gastritis needs to take high doses of vitamin B12 to get absorbed properly. Foods that are rich in vitamin B12 are oysters, liver, octopus, crab, beef, cheese and fish.

5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat soluble compound required for many biological functions. It is an antioxidant which prevents accumulation of the free radicals in the tissues. It can be easily propagated into cell membranes to protect them from oxidation damage.

Vitamin E helps in soothing the stomach and periodically heals the lining of the stomach. By taking vitamin E as a part of the diet, one can reduce the inflammation and cure the gastritis. Foods that are rich in vitamin E are almonds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, basil, apricots and peanuts.

Source: vitaminsestore.com

First Microfinance Again First to Publish First Quarterly Report of FY 2074/075; Earnings Surge by 60.44% to Rs. 24.13 Million !

First Microfinance Development Bank Ltd. (FMDBL) is again the first among the publishing companies to publish its provisional financial statement from the (Q1) of the fiscal year (FY) 2074/075, with an impressive profit growth of 60.44%.

According to the unaudited financial report for Q1 published yesterday, the microfinance has stated that its net profit surged to Rs. 24.13 million in Q1 as compared to Rs. 15 million in the corresponding Q1 of the last FY 2073/074.

The borrowing of the microfinance has increased from Rs 32.2 billion in the corresponding Q1 of the previous year to Rs. 35.2 billion in the Q1 of the current FY 2074/075.

Its net interest income has also increased to Rs. 40.8 million in the Q1 up from Rs. 26.5 million compared to the corresponding Q1 of the last fiscal year. The microfinance company has an operating profit of Rs. 37.9 million in Q1 of the ongoing FY.

The paid up capital of the company stands at Rs. 456.2 million in Q1 of FY 2074/075. Its reserve and surplus surges to Rs. 96 million in Q1 from Rs. 56.9 million in the corresponding Q1 of last FY.

It’s earnings per share (EPS) stands at Rs. 25.15; net worth per share at Rs. 121.05 and price to earnings (P/E) ratio at Rs. 39.75 times.

Check the LINK below to see current Financial Report, Company Analysis and Progress Details of this Microfinance:

Financial Report - 2074/075 (Q1)

Financial Report - 2073/074 (Q1)

Company Analysis

Progress Details

StockNewsNepal: Monday 23rd 2017

Is Placenta a 'superfood' or a Dietary Fad?

Be it encapsulated, blended in a smoothie, or even roasted with vegetables, there are many ways that a woman can choose to consume her placenta after childbirth. With this vital pregnancy organ gaining traction as a "superfood," more new mothers are considering the practice. But is eating placenta really beneficial?

The practice of eating placenta, or "placentophagy," is common in the animal kingdom.

It is believed that most non-human mammals with a placenta consume their "afterbirth" — as the placenta is otherwise known — as a way of eradicating the scent of their newborn and protecting them against predators.

Other literature suggests that animals eat their placenta as a way of regaining nutrients that might have been lost during delivery, and to encourage mother-child bonding.

It is the latter hypotheses that have made placentophagy attractive to human mothers, and with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and January Jones advocating the practice, it is more popular than ever.

While many new mothers hail the health benefits of eating the afterbirth, critics say that the practice could be more harmful than helpful. We take a look at the evidence for both sides of the argument.

The purpose of the placenta

The placenta is an organ that forms on the wall of the uterus during pregnancy, and it is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord.

Placentophagy is increasing in popularity, but does it offer health benefits? The placenta is
crucial for a healthy pregnancy. Encapsulation is the most common method of placentophagy.
Placentophagy advocates claim that the practice increases breast milk supply. The CDC report
how a mother who ate placenta pills became infected with group B Streptococcus and passed
it to her child.

Read more: Is Placenta a 'superfood' or a Dietary Fad?

Human placentophagy: a review (Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Aug 39

Download article in PDF

Watch video: Your Placenta Is Not a Superfood, Please Stop Eating It !

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Source: MedicalNewsToday

Corneal Repair: A Clear Vision!

Damage to the surface of the cornea causes pain and loss of vision, but regenerative therapies are providing a clearer, brighter future.

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then it is the cornea that lets the light enter.

For more than 200 years, physicians have been preoccupied with keeping this dome-shaped, transparent surface in front of the iris and pupil clear. German surgeon Franz Reisinger was the first to attempt a corneal transplant in animals in 1818. And in 1838, US ophthalmologist Richard Kissam tried to replace the opaque cornea of a young patient with the healthy cornea of a pig, but the procedure failed when the transplant was rejected. The first successful transplant in humans was in 1905, but outcomes remained poor until the mid-twentieth century, when developments in infection control, anaesthesiology, surgical techniques and immunology vastly improved the success rate of corneal transplantation. In the twenty-first century, advances in cell-culture techniques and bioengineering have opened the door to regenerative treatments for people with damage to one or both corneas.

Unclouded vision requires a clear cornea. Its epithelial surface constantly renews itself to maintain an unblemished, uniformly refractive surface. Cells that are shed from the surface are replaced by new ones that emanate from a small population of stem cells located at the edge, or limbus, of the cornea.

If the stem cells at the limbus are damaged, the renewal process is interrupted. The complete or partial loss of these stem cells — limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD) — allows the opaque conjunctiva to grow over the cornea. This can lead to intense pain and, in the most-severe cases, blindness.

Let there be sight -David Holmes

Read more: Corneal Repair: A Clear Vision!

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Download poster in PDF

Nature Video: Repairing the cornea: let there be sight

Download Video

Source: Nature

Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increases Cardiac Risk!

Androgen-deprivation therapy, which is a common treatment for prostate cancer, has been tentatively linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study solidifies these concerns.

Prostate cancer needs testosterone to grow and thrive, so androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is designed to reduce the amount of testosterone in the body to close to zero, thereby helping to slow cancer's growth.

Although the findings are controversial, some studies have shown that ADT combined with radiation therapy is more successful at treating prostate cancer than just radiation alone.

Currently, ADT is recommended for advanced prostate cancer. But it is increasingly being used to treat localized prostate cancer, despite minimal evidence for its efficacy.

At the same time, the number of localized prostate cancer cases has increased dramatically over recent years, due in part to the more widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing.

Side effects of ADT — including erectile dysfunction, diabetes, bone loss, and swollen breast tissue, or gynecomastia — can be fairly substantial. Added to this, there is growing evidence to suggest that low testosterone levels might increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

A common prostate cancer treatment comes under scrutiny in a new study.

Read more: Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer Increases Cardiac Risk!

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Source: MedicalNewsToday