For a long time, we have been bombarded with images of plastic waste, especially marine scenes like floating islands of garbage, dirty beaches, and the turtle with a straw stuck in its nose. It is no surprise that this ubiquitous material, the benefits of which are buried by its overuse, is also found throughout the human body, including in the brain.
The story of how plastic particles were found in one of the body’s most protected organs is almost as interesting as the discovery itself; after all, how can we be sure that the samples were not contaminated if there is plastic everywhere, including in our laboratories? Biomedical Sciences editor Ricardo Zorzetto describes what (little) is known so far about the presence and impact of micro- and nanoplastics in the human body.
Another type of particle, the aerosol, plays a decisive role in the formation of clouds. There is a huge accumulation of aerosols in the sky above the Amazon rainforest, but the reason has always been a mystery. Now, studies have shown that isoprene, a gas emitted by trees in the region for thermal regulation, accelerates the formation of these particles, which then grow and can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers and become condensation nuclei, or cloud seeds.
This issue also features the latest contribution from our freelance reporter Renata Fontanetto, who went to Baku, Azerbaijan, to cover the UN Climate Change Conference with support from Internews’s Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. She interviewed Brazilian economist Anacláudia Rossbach, who was appointed executive director of the UN Human Settlements Programme in 2024.
Psychiatry has been a consistent area of study, practice, and teaching in Brazil since the nineteenth century. Its history includes important names such as Juliano Moreira and Nise da Silveira. The less well-known neurologist and psychiatrist Austregésilo Lima (1876–1960) spoke in favor of sex education, while at the same time defending the disciplinary and moral function of psychiatry. He dedicated himself to refining the diagnosis of so-called hysteria, a type of mental disorder associated mainly with women and used as an umbrella term for a variety of physical and psychological problems.
A century later, Brazilian psychiatrists are working on the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Dr. Flávio Kapczinski is part of an international group making efforts to define the different stages of the disorder. The group’s classification system aims to help doctors choose the most appropriate treatment. In an interview, Kapczinski also talks about preparing the first study to determine the prevalence of more serious mental illnesses in the Brazilian population.
Literary studies usually focus on authors and their work, rarely turning their attention to the people that allow readers to enjoy books in languages they do not speak. Translators are intermediaries between different cultures, building the bridges that give us access to other worlds. Their careers and work processes are elements that contribute to our understanding of the literary universe. When reading this report, it is impossible not to think of Heloisa Jahn (1947–2022), who translated more than a hundred works written in several languages and was the mother of our Biological Sciences Editor, Maria Guimarães. Her professional and personal achievements were highlighted at a ceremony held in her honor at the Mário de Andrade Library, São Paulo, shortly after her premature death.
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