Matta, M. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2023

Crossmodal correspondence of natural amplitude modulations

Crossmodal correspondence is the ability to recognize objects from different sensory modalities to be similar. Here, we investigated the capacity of humans to perform crossmodal discriminations between visual, acoustic, and tactile stimuli modulated in amplitudes of low-pass filtered envelopes obtained from natural sounds. We found that the perception of crossmodal correspondence emerged from the number of amplitude prominences in each stimulus rather than from temporal variations. Therefore, we propose saliency as the supramodal trade coin of temporal modulations.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Plasticenta: Microplastics in Human Placenta

Summary paragraphMicroplastics are particles smaller than five millimetres obtained from the degradation of plastic objects abandoned in the environment. Microplastics can move from the environment to living organisms and, in fact, they have been found in fishes and mammals. Six human placentas, prospectively collected from consenting women with uneventful pregnancies, were analyzed by Raman Microspectroscopy to evaluate the presence of microparticles. Detected microparticles were characterized in terms of morphology and chemical composition. 12 microparticles, ranging from 5 to 10 m in size, were found in 4 out of 6 placentas: 5 in the foetal side, 4 in the maternal side and 3 in the chorioamniotic membranes. All the analyzed microparticles were pigmented: three of them were identified as stained polypropylene, while for the other nine it was possible to identify only the pigments, which are all used for man-made coatings, paints and dyes. Here we show, for the first time, the presence of microparticles and microplastics in human placenta. This sheds new light on the impact of plastic on human health. Microparticles and microplastics in the placenta, together with the endocrine disruptors transported by them, could have long-term effects on human health.

ecology↗