Evaluation of microplastic pollution using bee colonies: An exploration of various sampling methodologies.

Recent research has highlighted the potential of honeybees and bee products as biological samplers for monitoring xenobiotic pollutants. However, the effectiveness of these biological samplers in tracking microplastics (MPs) has not yet been explored. This study evaluates several methods of sampling MPs, using honeybees, pollen, and a novel in-hive passive sampler named the APITrap. The collected samples were characterized using a stereomicroscopy to count and categorise MPs by morphology, colour, and type. To chemical identification, a micro-Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was employed to determine the polymer types. The study was conducted across four consecutive surveillance programmes, in five different apiaries in Denmark. Our findings indicated that APITrap demonstrated better reproducibility, with a lower variation in results of 39%, compared to 111% for honeybee samples and 97% for pollen samples. Furthermore, the use of APITrap has no negative impact on bees and can be easily applied in successive samplings. The average number of MPs detected in the four monitoring studies ranged from 39 to 67 in the APITrap, 6 to 9 in honeybee samples, and 6 to 11 in pollen samples. Fibres were the most frequently found, accounting for an average of 91% of the total MPs detected in the APITrap, and similar values for fragments (5%) and films (4%). The MPs were predominantly coloured black, blue, green and red. Spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of up to five different synthetic polymers. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was the most common in case of fibres and similarly to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyamide (PA) in non fibrous MPs. This study, based on citizen science and supported by beekeepers, highlights the potential of MPs to accumulate in beehives. It also shows that the APITrap provides a highly reliable and comprehensive approach for sampling in large-scale monitoring studies.

[Erectile dysfunction in those under 40. Etiological and contributing factors]. / Disfunción eréctil en menores de 40 años. Factores etiológicos y contribuyentes.

OBJECTIVES: Although not very frequent, erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients younger than 40 years represents a disease to be kept in mind in our sanitary area. We propose a study of the various risk factors identified in this population group. METHODS: We studied a total of 736 patients with diagnosis of ED following our protocol, using as inclusion criteria being between 19 and 40 years of age. In this group, we have studied the incidence of various risk factors associated with the disease both globally and dividing the group into age subgroups also. RESULTS: Overall, we have diagnosed 64 patients with ED under the age of 40 years (8.7%). 25 of these patients were classified as psychogenic origin dysfunctions (39%), 26 organic (40.7%), and 13 of mixed origin (20.3%). Age subgroups analysis shows: between 19 and 25 years: 7 psychogenic, 2 mixed, and 5 organic; between 26 and 30: 1 psychogenic, 2 mixed, and 3 organic; between 31 and 35: 7 psychogenic, 3 mixed, and 8 organic; between 36 and 40: 11 psychogenic, 6 mixed, and 9 organic. We identified as risk factors, in order of prevalence: psychogenic (47%), diabetes (14.6%), cardiovascular (9.7%), toxic-alcohol, tobacco, and drugs--(12.1%), neurogenic (4.8%), and others (7.3%). CONCLUSIONS: ED under the age of 40 years causes a growing demand of medical care day by day, mainly due to the increasing prevalence of its etiologic factors. As other publications have shown psychogenic factors are the most frequently associated with the disease in younger patients globally, although when dividing by age groups we found different results than other publications in terms of association with various risk factors.