Polyethylene microplastics adhere to Lemna minor (L.), yet have no effects on plant growth or feeding by Gammarus duebeni (Lillj.).

Microplastics (1-1000 μm) are ubiquitous in the marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. These microsized plastics are considered freshwater pollutants of emerging concern, although the impacts on organisms and ecosystems are not yet clear. In particular, effects of microplastics on freshwater aquatic plants and the fate of microplastics in the freshwater trophic chain remain largely unexplored.

Early intervention in low birth weight premature infants: results at 18 years of age for the Infant Health and Development Program.

Objective: To assess whether improvements in cognitive and behavioral development seen in preschool educational programs persist, we compared those in a multisite randomized trial of such a program over the first 3 years of life (INT) to those with follow-up only (FUO) at 18 months of age.

Methods: This was a prospective follow-up of the Infant Health and Development Program at 8 sites heterogeneous for sociodemographic characteristics. Originally 985 children were randomized to the INT (n = 377) or FUO (n = 608) groups within 2 birth weight strata: heavier low birth weight (HLBW; 2001-2499 g) and lighter low birth weight (LLBW; < or = 2000 g).

Prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage by indomethacin in male preterm infants.

Our multicenter Indomethacin Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) Prevention Trial demonstrated a reduction of IVH in preterm infants. Analysis of our cohort by sex showed indomethacin halved the incidence of IVH, eliminated parenchymal hemorrhage, and was associated with higher verbal scores at 3 to 8 years in boys.

Visual, cognitive, and language assessments at 39 months: a follow-up study of children fed formulas containing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to 1 year of age.

Objective: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids found in breast milk and recently added to infant formulas. Their importance in infant nutrition was recognized by the rapid accretion of these fatty acids in the brain during the first postnatal year, reports of enhanced intellectual development in breastfed children, and recognition of the physiologic importance of DHA in visual and neural systems from studies in animal models. These considerations led to clinical trials to evaluate whether infant formulas that are supplemented with DHA or both DHA and ARA would enhance visual and cognitive development or whether conversion of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, the essential fatty acid precursors of ARA and DHA, respectively, at the levels found in infant formulas is sufficient to support adequately visual and cognitive development.