Assessment of microplastic bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in a simple coral reef food web.

Plastics, and more specifically, microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) are considered a marine contaminant of emerging concern. To accurately assess the ecological risk of MPs, it is critical to first understand the relationship between MP contamination in organisms with that in their surrounding environment. The goal of this study was to examine the ecological risk of MPs in coral reef ecosystems by assessing the MP contamination found within a simple food web against contamination in the surrounding environment.

Temporal patterns of plastic contamination in surface waters at the SS Yongala shipwreck, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous within the marine environment, including surface waters, water column and benthic sediments. Marine plastic contamination is expected to increase if future projections of increased plastic production eventuate. Conversely, national and international efforts are aiming to reduce marine plastic contamination.

Efficacy of Microplastic Separation Techniques on Seawater Samples: Testing Accuracy Using High-Density Polyethylene.

AbstractMicroplastic contamination of the marine environment has been reported globally. Its pervasiveness has highlighted the importance of accurate quantification to enable comparability within and between different environmental matrices. The potential efficacy of different methods to separate microplastics from their environmental sample matrix, however, is rarely validated.

Relevance and reliability of evidence for microplastic contamination in seafood: A critical review using Australian consumption patterns as a case study.

Seafood contamination with, and human consumption of, microplastics (MPs) have recently been highlighted as an emerging concern for global food security. While there is evidence that commercial marine species are contaminated with MPs, it is still unknown if seafood can act as a vector for MP transfer to human consumers. Microplastics have been reported in the digestive tract, gills and in select internal organs of marine animals.

Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in marine organisms: A review and meta-analysis of current data.

Microplastic (MP) contamination has been well documented across a range of habitats and for a large number of organisms in the marine environment. Consequently, bioaccumulation, and in particular biomagnification of MPs and associated chemical additives, are often inferred to occur in marine food webs. Presented here are the results of a systematic literature review to examine whether current, published findings support the premise that MPs and associated chemical additives bioaccumulate and biomagnify across a general marine food web.

Effect of extracellular vesicles from S. aureus-challenged human neutrophils on macrophages.

Staphylococcus aureus enhances neutrophil extracellular vesicle (EV) production. To investigate whether S. aureus viability influences EV biogenesis, EVs were isolated from human neutrophils incubated with viable bacteria (bEVs) or heat-killed bacteria (heat-killed EVs).

Microplastics are ubiquitous on California beaches and enter the coastal food web through consumption by Pacific mole crabs.

Microplastics are commonly found in marine ecosystems, but their distribution, prevalence, and impacts on resident fauna are still not well understood. Microplastics in coastal sediments expose invertebrate infauna to the risk of ingestion of plastic debris and associated toxicants. We assessed the prevalence of microplastics in beach sediments and ingested by Pacific mole crabs (Emerita analoga) at sandy beaches spanning >900 km of the California coast.

Boat noise in an estuarine soundscape - A potential risk on the acoustic communication and reproduction of soniferous fish in the May River, South Carolina.

The impact of boat related noise on marine life is a subject of concern, particularly for fish species that utilize acoustic communication for spawning purposes. The goal of this study was to quantify and examine the risk of boat noise on fish acoustic communication by performing acoustic monitoring of the May River, South Carolina (USA) from February to November 2013 using DSG-Ocean recorders. The number of boats detected increased from the source to the mouth with the highest detections near the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).

Recovering microplastics from marine samples: A review of current practices.

An important component of microplastic research is development of reproducible methods for microplastic recovery and characterization. Presented is a review of the literature comparing microplastic separation and identification methodologies from seawater, sediment and marine organisms. The efficiency of methods was examined, including processing time, recovery rates, and potential destruction of microplastics.

The united allergic airway: connections between allergic rhinitis, asthma, and chronic sinusitis.

Background: The united allergic airway is a theory that connects allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic rhinosinusitis, and asthma, in which seemingly disparate diseases, instead of being thought of separately, are instead viewed as arising from a common atopic entity.

Objective: This article describes patients with such diseases; explores ideas suggesting a unified pathogenesis; elucidates the various treatment modalities available, emphasizing nasal corticosteroids and antihistamines; and provides an update of the literature.

Methods: A literature review was conducted.

Patch-pump technology to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus: hurdles to market acceptance.

The recent development of novel "patch"-type insulin infusion pump (IIP) technologies has created an opportunity to improve the quality of life for a broader type 2 diabetes patient demographic. At first glance, type 2 diabetes patients represent a large percentage of the total diabetes patient population; however, adoption of traditional IIP products and multiple daily injection (MDI) therapy has remained limited amongst this patient segment. With an insulin reservoir, delivery system, and cannula integrated into a small, wearable, disposable or semidisposable device, patch pumps simplify traditional IIP therapy, while potentially offering therapeutic benefits over traditional MDI therapy.

Convergence of continuous glucose monitoring and in-hospital tight glycemic control: closing the gap between caregivers and industry.

The convergence of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and tight glycemic control protocols is approaching. As with the diffusion of any innovative technology, there will be challenges that will likely delay widespread adoption. With the objective of assessing the current mindset of health care professionals toward CGM adoption in the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) setting and resulting implications to industry, Boston Biomedical Consultants surveyed >60 U.