The aim of this study was to assess oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients before, during and after completion of implant-supported full-arch immediate loading rehabilitation according to the Columbus Bridge Protocol (CBP). 25 patients with compromised dentition were rehabilitated according to the CBP and were assessed for OHRQoL using 4 questionnaires specifically realized for this study and inspired to the OHIP (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire. Patients assessed themselves before surgery, during the healing period (1 week and 2 months after surgery) and after definitive prosthodontic treatment (4 months after surgery). The questionnaires specifically investigated patients’ pain, confort, home oral hygiene habits, satisfaction related to esthetics, masticatory ability, phonetics and general satisfaction toward the treatment.Patients reported an improvement of OHRQoL after full-arch immediate loading rehabilitation. A statistically significant improvement in aesthetic and chewing ability was found. After 4 months 92% of the patients did not feel tense with their smile, 96% did not show problems to relate with other people or smiling, 92% did not show difficulty to eat some foods. Phonetics was found to be a critical issue, especially in the intermediate phase of healing. One week after surgery the percentage of patients who was very satisfied with phonetics slightly decreased from 48% to 36%. The assessment of patients' OHRQoL related to full-arch immediate loading implant therapy exhibited a significant improvement of their quality of life. The questionnaires herein presented could be an effective tool to evaluate patients' reaction to oral rehabilitation.

The effect of exposures to the insecticide chlorpyrifos on the larval stages of Paracentrotus lividus (Echinodermata, Euechinoidea) up to metamorphosis was investigated with the aim to identify novel risk biomarkers and a new promising model for toxicity tests. The planktonic sea urchin larvae have the ability to undergo a variable exploratory period, up to the choice of a suitable substrate for adult benthonic life. The juvenile bud (called rudiment) is built inside the larval body that, on environmental cues represented by a variety of signal molecules, is reabsorbed by apoptosis and releases the juvenile on the substrate. In this dialogue between larvae and environment, contaminants interfere with the signals reception, and may alter in dose-dependent way the correct regulation of environment-larva-rudiment interaction. Such interaction is shown by larval plasticity, i.e. the ability of the larva to change body proportions according to the environmental conditions. When exposed to low doses of chlorpyriphos (10(-7) to 10(-10) M) since 2-days after fertilization, the larvae showed altered size and shape, but all reached the metamorphosis at the same time as controls, and in the same percentage. Exposures to high concentrations such as 10(-4) to 10(-6) M since 2-days after fertilization did not allow larval growth and differentiation. Exposures at later stages caused reabsorption of larval structures within a few hours and precocious release of the immature rudiments, followed by death of the juveniles. Although the mechanism of chlorpyriphos toxicity in sea urchin larvae is still rather unclear, the measurable stress biomarkers can constitute the basis for new toxicity tests.