Multigenerational effects of virgin and sampled plastics on the benthic macroinvertebrate Chironomus riparius.

Although sediments are important reservoirs of plastics, most of the ecotoxicological studies on these contaminants are focused on the organisms living in the water column, while only a smaller number of evidence concerns the plastic impact on benthic species. Therefore, this study compared the multigenerational effects on the sediment-dwelling midge Chironomus riparius exposed to both virgin polystyrene microbeads (22,400-224,000 plastics/kg sediments dry weight), and plastic mixtures (40-420 plastics/kg dry weight) collected from four of the main tributaries of Po River (Ticino, Adda, Oglio and Mincio Rivers, Northern Italy) to evaluate the role played by other characteristics related to these physical contaminants in determining their toxicity as opposed to concentration alone. The modified Chironomid Life-Cycle Toxicity Test (OECD 233) was used to evaluate the multigenerational effects on the Emergence and Development Rates, Fecundity and Fertility.

The Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Constipation in Italy: Results from a Survey Conducted among Italian Gastroenterologists.

Chronic constipation (CC) is one of the most common disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). The management of CC requires specific skills due to its complex and multifactorial pathophysiology and its multistep treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate the availability and the use of diagnostic tools for CC in Italy and the therapeutic management of CC by Italian gastroenterologists (GEs).