Aging microplastics enhances the adsorption of pharmaceuticals in freshwater.

Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental concern. Pollutants such as microplastics (< 5 mm) and pharmaceuticals often co-exist in the aquatic environment. The current study aimed to elucidate the interaction of pharmaceuticals with microplastics and ascertain how the process of photo-oxidation of microplastics affected the adsorption of the pharmaceuticals.

Psychological burden in Portuguese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: University students are a risk population for mental health problems. This study aims to evaluate the psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portuguese university students and to uncover factors associated with worse psychological indicators.

Methods: We used an online survey to perform a cross-sectional study that evaluated students' perceptions, lifestyle, and psychological well-being during the pandemic.

Characterisation of microplastics is key for reliable data interpretation.

Microplastic research has gained attention due to the increased detection of microplastics (<5 mm size) in the aquatic environment. Most laboratory-based research of microplastics is performed using microparticles from specific suppliers with either superficial or no characterisation performed to confirm the physico-chemical information detailed by the supplier. The current study has selected 21 published adsorption studies to evaluate how the microplastics were characterised by the authors prior experimentation.

Lung and physical function in post COVID-19 and clinical and functional associations: a cross-sectional study in Brazil.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess exercise capacity, lung and physical function in COVID-19 survivors, and the association of lesion-level characteristics assessed by chest computed tomography, probable sarcopenia, and percentage of diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide with clinical and functional variables.

Methods: This study was conducted in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. All patients had a laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Adsorption of cyanotoxins on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate: Microplastics as vector of eight microcystin analogues.

Plastics are utilised globally but are of environmental concern due to their persistence. The global presence of microplastics (particles <5 mm in all dimensions) in freshwater environments is increasingly reported, as has the presence of cyanobacterial toxins, including the microcystins. We elucidated the potential role of microplastics as a vector for eight microcystin analogues.

Immunoglobulin G4-related constrictive pericarditis and the importance of a thorough workup: a case report.

Background: Constrictive pericarditis remains a problematic diagnosis and a thorough investigation is critical. Among possible aetiologies, immunoglobulin-G4 (IgG4)-related pericardial disease is an unusual cause of pericardial constriction. We report a challenging diagnostic case of pericardial constriction due to IgG4-related disease.

Metabolic parameters as possible diagnostic predictors in first-episode psychosis: An exploratory retrospective cohort study.

Aim: Patients in early phases of schizophrenia or mood disorders with psychotic symptoms have a wide array of metabolic abnormalities. We analysed the potential predictive value of uric acid (UA) levels and other metabolic parameters in first-episode psychosis patients to differentiate between non-affective and affective psychosis.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of all patients referenced to a first-episode psychosis unit (n = 149), between 2012 and 2017, with available UA levels.

Potentially Poisonous Plastic Particles: Microplastics as a Vector for Cyanobacterial Toxins Microcystin-LR and Microcystin-LF.

The potential of microplastics to act as a vector for micropollutants of natural or anthropogenic origin is of rising concern. Cyanobacterial toxins, including microcystins, are harmful to humans and wildlife. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the potential of microplastics to act as vectors for two different microcystin analogues.

Communication skills preparedness for practice: Is there a key ingredient in undergraduate curricula design?

Objective: To characterize medical interns' experience regarding communication skills education and to explore potential associations with preparedness for practice.

Methods: Two hundred sixty-six medical interns answered an original questionnaire specifically developed to explore how well they feel their undergraduate training had prepared them in key aspects of medical communication. Instrument's psychometric properties were tested.

Modeling phosphorus exchange between bottom sediment and water in tropical semiarid reservoirs.

This study investigated phosphorus (P) dynamics in the sediment-water interface of three distinct reservoirs located in a tropical semiarid region. Sequential chemical fractioning of the P content in the sediment and controlled experiments of the sediment-water interface were performed to understand and model the effect of the different P fractions on the exchange dynamics under anoxic and oxic scenarios. The results revealed that the older the reservoir, the higher the amount of iron and aluminum-bound P in the sediment, and that this fraction was responsible for a 10-fold increase in P concentration in the water during anoxic conditions.

Oxytocin and depression in the perinatal period-a systematic review.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common postnatal psychiatric disorder, and it represents a considerable problem to the health and well-being of women and their families. Several pathogenic mechanisms have been identified in PPD, and recently, oxytocin (OT), known to be involved in childbirth and lactation, has drawn attention as a possible diagnostic and therapeutic tool in this disorder. The aim of this review was to assess and summarize the current literature on the relationship between OT as a potential depressive biomarker and depression in the perinatal period.