Comparative analysis of four morphometric methods for sex estimation: A study conducted on human skulls.

The pelvis and skull are the regions of the human skeleton that most clearly show sexual dimorphism, with the pelvis being superior to the skull for sex estimation owing to reproductive and hormonal factors. However, as many skeletons are found incomplete, it is important to be able to determine sex from analyzing the skull as well as the pelvis. This study was aimed at validating and evaluating the effectiveness of four morphometric methods for sex estimation using the human skull. One hundred human Brazilian skulls belonging to identified but unclaimed skeletons were used after all legal and administrative requirements for exhumation were satisfied. Four dimensions were analyzed: the facial triangle; the bimastoid triangle; the mastoid triangle; and finally, the occipital triangle. These dimensions were used to calculate the triangle areas. Descriptive analysis was used to verify the mean, standard deviation, and confidence interval of all variables and discriminant analysis with cross-validation was used to verify the percentage of correctness of the sex estimation methods. Individual analysis of the areas of the facial, right mastoid, left mastoid, bimastoid, and occipital triangles, and sum of the mastoid triangle areas, produced average accuracies of 63.0%, 81.8%, 77.8%, 71.4%, 64.0%, and 80.8%, respectively. Combinations of triangles resulted in higher mean accuracy percentages, with only 75.6% accuracy recorded when the left and right mastoid triangle areas were removed. All average values of analyzed triangles were higher in males than in females. Analyses of the cranial triangles were useful for sex estimation in the population studied.

Sexing the Cranium from the Foramen Magnum Using Discriminant Analysis in a Brazilian Sample.

In the identification process, the foramen magnum has shown controversial results in sex estimation. The present study aimed to analyze the morphometric variables of the foramen magnum in Brazilian adult cranium for sex estimation. The sample was composed of 100 craniums (53 males and 47 females) from the documented collection of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Forensic Sciences. The protocol measurement was constituted of two linear measurements: maximum length of the foramen magnum and maximum breadth of the foramen magnum and two formulas to calculate the area, method one (M1) and method two (M2). Descriptive statistics showed statistically significant differences between sex (p<0.05) for all variables. The univariate discriminant functions showed an accuracy between 56.0-62.0%, and the multivariate analysis showed a percentage of accuracy between 60.0-65.0%, the greatest accuracy was found combining the two linear measurements with M1(71.7%), even after cross-validation (66%). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that M2 is the best parameter for estimating sex (AUC=0.693). A reference table for Brazilians using the foramen magnum parameters was developed based on the results of the ROC curve analysis. In conclusion, the foramen magnum should be used with caution to estimate sex in forensic cases of fragmentary craniums, due to the limited accuracy.

Sexing the cranium from the foramen magnum using discriminant analysis in a brazilian sample

Abstract In the identification process, the foramen magnum has shown controversial results in sex estimation. The present study aimed to analyze the morphometric variables of the foramen magnum in Brazilian adult cranium for sex estimation. The sample was composed of 100 craniums (53 males and 47 females) from the documented collection of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Forensic Sciences. The protocol measurement was constituted of two linear measurements: maximum length of the foramen magnum and maximum breadth of the foramen magnum and two formulas to calculate the area, method one (M1) and method two (M2). Descriptive statistics showed statistically significant differences between sex (p<0.05) for all variables. The univariate discriminant functions showed an accuracy between 56.0-62.0%, and the multivariate analysis showed a percentage of accuracy between 60.0-65.0%, the greatest accuracy was found combining the two linear measurements with M1(71.7%), even after cross-validation (66%). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that M2 is the best parameter for estimating sex (AUC=0.693). A reference table for Brazilians using the foramen magnum parameters was developed based on the results of the ROC curve analysis. In conclusion, the foramen magnum should be used with caution to estimate sex in forensic cases of fragmentary craniums, due to the limited accuracy.

Resumo No processo de identificação humana, a análise do forame magno apresenta resultados controversos para estimativa do sexo. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as variáveis morfométricas do forame magno em crânios adultos brasileiros para estimação sexual. A amostra foi composta por 100 crânios (53 sexos masculino e 47 sexo feminino) pertencentes a coleção osteológica documentada do Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa em Ciências Forenses. A medida do protocolo foi constituída por duas medidas lineares: comprimento máximo do forame magno e largura máxima do forame magno e duas fórmulas para calcular a área, método um (M1) e método dois (M2). As estatísticas descritivas evidenciaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas (p<0,05) para todas as variáveis. As funções discriminantes univariadas apresentaram uma porcentagem de acerto entre 56,0-62,0% e a análise multivariada mostrou uma porcentagem de acerto entre 60,0-65,0%. A análise da curva ROC apontou que M2 é o melhor parâmetro para estimar o sexo (AUC=0,693). Uma tabela de referência para brasileiros que utilizam os parâmetros do forame magnum foi desenvolvida com base nos resultados da análise da curva ROC. Em conclusão, o foram e magnum deve ser usado com precaução para estimar o sexo em casos forenses de cranio fragmentado, devido à precisão limitada.

Discriminant analysis of mandibular measurements for the estimation of sex in a modern Brazilian sample.

The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of mandibular measurements for sex determination in a Brazilian population. The sample was composed of 100 mandibles, of which 53 were female and 47 were male, and the average age was 57.03 years. The mandible measurement protocol was composed of 15 measurements, of which six were bilateral and nine were unique. Mandibles were directly measured using a digital caliper and a protractor. The descriptive analysis of the present study revealed higher mean values for male mandibles compared to those for female mandibles with the exception of the left mandibular angle. Among the 21 measures analyzed in this group, 15 were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Univariate discriminant analyses produced a mean percentage of correct predictions that varied between 49 and 79%. The association of variables increased the percentage of correct prediction of sex to vary from 76 to 86%. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the best variable for estimating sex was bigonial breadth (BGB; area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.764) followed by the right maximum ramus height (MRHr; AUC = 0.763). A reference table for estimating sex in a Brazilian population using mandible measurements was developed based on the ROC curve analysis. Mandibular measures provide a simple and reliable method for sex discrimination in Brazilian adults due to the sexual dimorphism revealed by analysis of the metric variables and the satisfactory results demonstrated by discriminant formulas, ROC curve analysis, and the reference table.

Personal and professional profile, education, and perception of management and entrepreneurship of Dentistry students / Perfil pessoal e profissional, ensino e percepção sobre gestão e empreendedorismo de estudantes de Odontologia

In Dentistry, management and leadership seem to play an increasingly important role in facing the new challenges of the dental market. This study aimed to verify the personal profile for professional practice and the perception of management and entrepreneurship of students who attended the last year of Faculty of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, upon completion of the course of management and strategic planning in dentistry, for entering the labor market. A quantitatively and qualitatively descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. A questionnaire with open and closed questions was applied to 109 students who attended the course of management and strategic planning in dentistry. This course had 109 students enrolled, and for this research, 107 (98.17%) answered the questionnaire. The average age was 25 years, and 70.09 % were female; 63.55% said they have a good knowledge of themselves. When asked whether they knew some personal characteristics of dentists who have achieved success, 50.47% answered positively; 61.68% of students considered themselves organized, and 54.21% believed in being able to lead others. In the personal and professional profiles of students, it was possible to identify characteristics of leadership and optimism that they possessed about their professional future. Most of the students could incorporate attitudes and values that were covered by the course of management and strategic planning in dentistry. Additionally, the majority of them considered the knowledge acquired during this course while planning their professional careers (AU).

Na Odontologia, a gestão e a liderança parecem desempenhar um papel cada vez mais importante no enfrentamento dos novos desafios do mercado odontológico. Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar o perfil pessoal para a prática profissional e a percepção de gestão e empreendedorismo de estudantes que cursavam o último ano da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo, ao finalizarem a disciplina de gerência e planejamento estratégico em Odontologia, para a entrada mercado de trabalho. Foi realizado um estudo transversal quantitativo e qualitativo descritivo. Um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas foi aplicado a 109 alunos que matriculados na disciplina de planejamento estratégico e gestão em Odontologia. Dos 109 alunos matriculados, 107 (98,17%) responderam ao questionário. A idade média foi de 25 anos, e 70, 09% eram do sexo feminino; 63,55% disseram ter um bom conhecimento de si mesmos. Quando perguntados se conheciam algumas características pessoais dos dentistas que alcançaram sucesso, 50,47% responderam positivamente; 61,68% dos estudantes se consideravam organizados e 54,21% acreditavam poder liderar outros profissionais. Nos perfis pessoal e profissional foi possível identificar características de liderança e otimismo em relação ao seu futuro profissional. A maioria incorporou atitudes e valores abordados pela disciplina. Além disso, a maioria considerou o conhecimento adquirido na disciplina no planejamento de suas carreiras profissionais (AU).

Craniometric variation among Brazilian and Scottish populations: a physical anthropology approach

Aim: The present investigation intended to compare the craniometric variations of two samples of different nationalities (Brazilian and Scottish). Materials and methods: The Brazilian sample consisted of 100 modern complete skulls, including 53 female skulls and 47 male skulls, and the Scottish sample consisted of 100 historical skulls (61 males, 39 females) and 36 mandibles (24 males, 12 females). The cranial measurement protocol was composed of 40 measurements, 11 bilateral and 29 unilateral, and the measurement protocol of the mandible was composed of 15 measurements, with six that were bilateral and nine that were unique. The comparative analysis of the metric variability between the two samples was performed using the means and medians analysis, the t-test, the Wilcoxon test, and the coefficient of variance, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The results showed that, among the 72 analysed variables, 44 measurements (61.11%) presented statistical differences between the samples. The Scottish skull tends to have a cranial length (GOL diff=5.53), breadth (XCB diff=3.78) and height (NPH diff=5.33) greater than the Brazilian skulls, and the Scottish mandibles tend to show a higher mandibular ramus height (MRH diff=9.25), a higher mandibular body height (HMB diff=6.37) and a larger bigonial breadth (BGB diff=5.29) than the Brazilians. The discriminant analysis of the 51 cranial measurements and 21 mandibular measurements showed a variation of the percentage of accuracy between 46.3-83.8%. Conclusion: The metric analysis demonstrated that there is variability between the two samples studied (61,11%), but a concrete cause cannot be determined considering the multifactorial aspects of the variations of form and size

O ensino da Clínica Ampliada para ingressantes do curso de Odontologia: um relato de experiência / The teaching of the Expanded Clinic for Dental course first-year students: an experience report

De acordo com as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais para os cursos de Odontologia, a formação do Cirurgião-dentista deve resultar em um profissional capaz de atender às necessidades de saúde bucal da população e estar em consonância com os princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde. Para tanto, o ensino da clínica deve extrapolar o ato operatório e ampliar seu escopo de prática. Neste sentido, desde 2006, a Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo ministra aos estudantes do primeiro semestre de graduação a Disciplina denominada Clínica Ampliada de Promoção de Saúde (CAPS), que se propõe, desde o ingresso do estudante no curso superior, a romper com o paradigma da saúde como ausência de doença e apresentar a interface entre o biológico e o social neste processo, na perspectiva da ampliação da clínica e do cuidado integral. Este relato de experiência tem o objetivo de descrever a disciplina de CAPS, caracterizando as estratégias pedagógicas e sua relevância na inserção dos estudantes nos cenários de prática na atenção básica, bem como os métodos de avaliação implementados durante o ano. Espera-se que o modelo de Disciplina apresentado possa fomentar o debate e promover discussões dentro dos cursos de Odontologia, para que o mais precocemente possível, possamos discutir com os estudantes temas relacionados ao cuidado em saúde e à clínica ampliada (AU).

According to the National Curricular Guidelines for Dental courses, the training of the dentist should result in a professional capable of meeting the oral health needs of the population and be in line with the principles of the Unified Health System. The teaching of the clinic must extrapolate the operative act and broaden its scope of practice. Since 2006, the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of São Paulo teaches the students of the first semester of graduation the subject called Expanded Health Promotion Clinic. The Subject proposes to break with the health paradigm as the absence of disease and to present the interface between the biological and the social in this process, to the expansion of the clinic and integral care. This experience report aims to describe the subject, characterizing pedagogical strategies and their relevance in the insertion of students in the practice scenarios in primary care, as well as the evaluation methods implemented during the year. It is hoped that subject model presented may stimulate debate and promote discussions within the Subject coursesso that as early as possible we can discuss the topics related to health care and the Extended Clinic (AU).

Sexual dimorphism using odontometric indexes: Analysis of three statistical techniques.

Sex dimorphism is an important part in the identification process. The teeth are an excellent material for anthropological analysis and it can be considerate a valuable tool for sex determination. This study aims to analyze sexual dimorphism through the dental measures in Brazilian adults using three different statistical methods. The sample consists of maxillary and mandibular plaster models of 200 Caucasoid Brazilian individuals (100 male and 100 female), aged between 20 and 30 years. The mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) diameters were measured of all teeth, excluding third molars. These measurements were performed directly on the plaster models. For statistical analysis we used the software STATA 12.0. Three techniques were performed to check the sexual dimorphism Logistic Regression, Linear Discriminant Function and Function Discriminant KNN. The significance level for all tests was 5%. The study population was composed of 200 research participants. Of this total, 100 were male and 100 were female. The average age was 24.33 years and the average height of 1.69 m. According to the results presented in this study we can conclude that it is possible to check the sexual dimorphism in Brazilian adults through dental measures. No differences were verified between homologous teeth. Dental elements of the male participants had higher averages than those of female participants. The best indicators for evaluating sexual dimorphism were measures of the canines and molars. Multivariate techniques were more accurate and KNN discriminant analysis showed the best results.