Use of animals in dental research: Trends and ethical reflections.

This study aimed to survey and analyze the profile of experimental dental research in animals, verifying its trends. We evaluated studies developed with the use of animals in vivo, published in 10 dental journals with high impact factors, from 2015 to 2020. From 1652 studies retrieved, 594 involved in vivo experimentation on animals and were analyzed further. Rats were the species most used and with the highest mean of animals per study. Ferrets, although presenting the lowest rate of publications, had the second highest mean of animals per study. Periodontics was the dental specialty with the highest number of publications, while oral rehabilitation had the lowest number. The data on the institution responsible for reviewing animal research protocols approval, sample size, anesthesia and analgesia were provided in 93.10%, 83%, 70.54% and 23.74% of studies, respectively. In 53% of studies, euthanasia was specified and anesthetic overdose was the method most used. Over the period analyzed, there was a reduction in animal studies in vivo, and periodontics was the specialty that most used this experimental model. Although most studies mentioned approval by an ethics committee, some publications neglected to mention sample size, anesthesia and euthanasia. The omission of essential information may raise scientific and ethical concerns.

Pesquisas em animais: uma reflexão bioética / Investigación con animales: una reflexión bioética / Animal research: a bioethical reflection

Os modelos de experimentação animal constituem uma importante ferramenta na pesquisa científica. Sabe-se que essa prática deve estar baseada em princípios bioéticos, seja para impor limites de dor e sofrimento, como para fiscalizar instalações e procedimentos. Assim, o presente estudo teve por objetivo levantar e apresentar as normas atuais que regulamentam as pesquisas em animais no Brasil comprando-as a outros países, bem como fomentar reflexões bioéticas sobre esse mote. Para isso, apresentamos a legislação brasileira vigente e conduzimos uma revisão e discussão da literatura internacional. A busca de artigos foi realizada na base de dados PubMed, utilizando como palavra-chave os termos "bioética" e "bem-estar do animal". Foram incluídos dezenove artigos, publicados entre os anos de 1997 a 2013. Concluiu-se que é evidente a contribuição dos animais para pesquisas científicas de diversas áreas. Cabe moralmente ao Homem, como ser racional, garantir um tratamento digno aos animais que contribuem para a pesquisa. A forma mais segura de seguir este caminho é estabelecendo leis claras e pesquisas bem delineadas, que envolvam a sociedade para designar normas éticas. Dessa forma, o bem-estar animal estaria garantido.

Los modelos animales son una herramienta importante en la investigación científica. Se sabe que esta práctica debe basarse en principios bioéticos, sea para imponer límites sobre el dolor y el sufrimiento, o para inspeccionar las instalaciones y procedimientos. Este estudio tuvo el objetivo de evaluar y presentar las normas vigentes que rigen la investigación con animales en Brasil, comparándolas con otros países, así como fomentar la reflexión bioética sobre este tema. Para eso, presentamos la legislación brasileña vigente y realizamos una revisión y discusión de la literatura internacional. La búsqueda de artículos fue realizada en la base de datos PubMed, usando las palabras-clave "bioética" y "bienestar del animal". Se incluyeron diecinueve artículos publicados entre 1997 e 2013. Se concluyó que es evidente la contribución de los animales para la investigación científica de varias áreas. Cabe moralmente al ser humano, como ser racional, asegurar un tratamiento humanitario de los animales que contribuyen con la investigación. La forma más segura de seguir este camino es estableciendo leyes claras e investigaciones bien delineadas, que involucren la sociedad para designar normas éticas. Así, el bienestar de los animales estaría garantizado.

Animal models are an important tool in scientific research. It is known that this practice must be based on bioethical principles in order to impose limits about pain and suffering, or for inspecting proceedings and research site. This study has as aim to evaluate and present current legislation ruling animal research in Brazil, comparing it with other countries, as well as fostering bioethical reflection about this issue. For this, we present current Brazilian legislation and we have carried out international literature review and discussion. The articles were searched in PubMed data base, using the key words "bioethics" and "animal welfare". Nineteen articles from 1997 to 2013 were included. It was concluded the evident contribution of animal research for scientific research in several fields. It is morally relevant for humans, as rational beings, to secure humane treatment to animals contributing to research. The safest way to follow this path is establishing clear norms and studies well designed, involving society for assigning ethical norms. Thus, animal welfare would be guarantee.

Is characterizing the digital forensic facial reconstruction with hair necessary? A familiar assessors' analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the international scientific literature, there are few studies that emphasize the presence or absence of hair in forensic facial reconstructions. There are neither Brazilian studies concerning digital facial reconstructions without hair, nor research comparing recognition tests between digital facial reconstructions with hair and without hair. The miscegenation of Brazilian people is considerable. Brazilian people, and, in particular, Brazilian women, even if considered as Caucasoid, may present the hair in very different ways: curly, wavy or straight, blonde, red, brown or black, long or short, etc. For this reason, it is difficult to find a correct type of hair for facial reconstruction (unless, in real cases, some hair is recovered with the skeletal remains). AIMS AND METHODS: This study focuses on the performance of three different digital forensic facial reconstructions, without hair, of a Brazilian female subject (based on one international database and two Brazilian databases for soft facial-tissue thickness) and evaluates the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photographs of the target individual and nine other subjects, employing the recognition method. A total of 22 assessors participated in the recognition process; all of them were familiar with the 10 individuals who composed the face pool. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The target subject was correctly recognized by 41% of the 22 examiners in the International Pattern, by 32% in the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern and by 32% in the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern. The facial reconstructions without hair were correctly recognized using the three databases of facial soft-tissue thickness. The observed results were higher than the results obtained using facial reconstructions with hair, from the same skull, which can indicate that it is better to not use hair, at least when there is no information concerning its characteristics.

Importância da correta confecção do prontuário odontológico para identificação humana. Relato de caso / Importance of the correct confection of the dental records for human identification. Case report

O prontuário odontológico corresponde a um conjunto de documentos onde todas as informações do paciente são guardadas. Quando bem elaborado e arquivado pelo Cirurgião-Dentista, poderá servir de ferramenta para o sucesso em perícias odontolegais. O objetivo desse trabalho é apresentar a importância da correta confecção do prontuário odontológico na identificação humana por meio de um caso de identificação, ocorrido em uma cidade do interior do estado de São Paulo. As anotações presentes no prontuário odontológico da suposta vítima apresentaram-se bastante deficientes, inclusive com uma contradição. Porém, tendo sido realizado tratamento endodõntico, a análise comparativa entre as radiografias do crânio da vítima (post-mortem) e as do tratamento endodõntico do dente 22 (antemortem) permitiu observar total coincidência entre os detalhes do referido tratamento, além de características anatõmicas presentes em outros elementos dentários Esses parâmetros importantes de comparação indicaram que o corpo encontrado era do suspeito e, devido ao número de coincidências, não seria possível pertencerem a outro indivíduo. Não obstante, a documentação clínica fornecida estava deficiente, e apresentava dados contraditórios. Visto a sua fundamental importância para a identificação humana é mister que os profissionais da Odontologia tomem os cuidados necessários à sua correta elaboração e guarda, buscando fazer do prontuário também um instrumento de consulta eficiente nos casos de identificação.

The clinical records correspond to a set of documents where ali information of the patient is stored. When properly confectioned and filed by the dentist, it may serve as a tool for success in dental expertise. The aim of this paper is to present the importance of proper confection 01 dental records in human identification by means the presentation of a case of identification, occurred in a São Paulo state citv The notes present in the dental records of the alleged victim were very poor, even with a contradiction. However, having endodontic treatment been performed, the comparative analysis between the radiographs of the skull of the victim (postmortem) and the endodontic treatment of tooth 22 (antemortem) permitted to observe total coincidence between the details of such treatment, and anatomical features present in other dental elements. These important parameters of comparison indicated that the body was of the suspect and, due to the number of coincidences, it could not belong to another individual. Nevertheless, the clinical documentation provided was deficient, and presented contradictory data. Because of its fundamental importance for human identification, it is essential that dental professionals take the necessary care to ensure its proper confection and custody, seeking to make the clinical records also an efficient instrument of consultation in identification cases.

Peri-orbital bone dimensional analysis using computed tomography for placement of osseointegrated implants

Craniofacial osseointegrated implants enabled producing implant-retained facial prosthesis, namelythe orbital prosthesis. Aim: To evaluate the length and width of the bone structure of the peri-orbitalregion and to present the method validation. Methods: Computed tomography scans of 30 dryhuman skulls were obtained in order to register linear length and width measurements of the periorbitalregion. Two examiners made the measurements twice with intervals of at least 7 daysbetween them. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the paired Student’s t-test wasused as inferential technique (SAS, α=0.05). Results: In most cases, the intra- and inter-examinervariations were not significant (p>0.05). Therefore, the method proposed was considered asprecise and valid for the measurement of the peri-orbital region. The measured points correspondto the hours of a clock. The major lengths were observed at 1 h (18.32 mm) for the left peri-orbitalbone and at 11h (19.28 mm) for the right peri-orbital bone, followed by the points situated at 2h(13.05 mm) and 12h (11.37 mm) for the left side and at 10 h (12.34 mm) and 12 h (11.56 mm) forthe right side. It was verified that the three points with lowest values followed the same anatomicalsequence in the supraorbital rim for the right and left orbits, showing compatibility with the insertionof the intraoral osseointegrated implants. The medial wall of both orbits did not present sufficientlength to allow the insertion of intraoral or craniofacial implants. Conclusions: The largest widthpoints were observed in the supraorbital rim and in the infralateral region of both orbits and thoseof smallest width were found in the supralateral region of both orbits.

Tests of one Brazilian facial reconstruction method using three soft tissue depth sets and familiar assessors.

Facial reconstruction is a method that seeks to recreate a person's facial appearance from his/her skull. This technique can be the last resource used in a forensic investigation, when identification techniques such as DNA analysis, dental records, fingerprints and radiographic comparison cannot be used to identify a body or skeletal remains. To perform facial reconstruction, the data of facial soft tissue thickness are necessary. Scientific literature has described differences in the thickness of facial soft tissue between ethnic groups. There are different databases of soft tissue thickness published in the scientific literature. There are no literature records of facial reconstruction works carried out with data of soft tissues obtained from samples of Brazilian subjects. There are also no reports of digital forensic facial reconstruction performed in Brazil. There are two databases of soft tissue thickness published for the Brazilian population: one obtained from measurements performed in fresh cadavers (fresh cadavers' pattern), and another from measurements using magnetic resonance imaging (Magnetic Resonance pattern). This study aims to perform three different characterized digital forensic facial reconstructions (with hair, eyelashes and eyebrows) of a Brazilian subject (based on an international pattern and two Brazilian patterns for soft facial tissue thickness), and evaluate the digital forensic facial reconstructions comparing them to photos of the individual and other nine subjects. The DICOM data of the Computed Tomography (CT) donated by a volunteer were converted into stereolitography (STL) files and used for the creation of the digital facial reconstructions. Once the three reconstructions were performed, they were compared to photographs of the subject who had the face reconstructed and nine other subjects. Thirty examiners participated in this recognition process. The target subject was recognized by 26.67% of the examiners in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Magnetic Resonance Pattern, 23.33% in the reconstruction performed with the Brazilian Fresh Cadavers Pattern and 20.00% in the reconstruction performed with the International Pattern, in which the target-subject was the most recognized subject in the first two patterns. The rate of correct recognitions of the target subject indicate that the digital forensic facial reconstruction, conducted with parameters used in this study, may be a useful tool.

Evaluation of a digital methodology for human identification using palatal rugoscopy

Palatal rugoscopy, or palatoscopy, is the process by which human identification can be obtained by inspecting the transverse palatal rugae inside the mouth. Aim: This study evaluated a digital method for human identification using palatoscopy, by comparing photographs of the palate against the images of cast models of the maxilla photographed with and without highlighting of the palatal rugae. Methods: Condensation silicone impressions were made from the upper arches of 30 adult subjects of both genders and their palates were then photographed. The first impression was made with heavy silicone, the second impression with light silicone, and then the models were cast in improved type IV dental stone. The casts were photographed, the palatal rugae of each one were highlighted with a pencil, and then the models were photographed again. Using a free image-editing software, the digital photographs were overlapped over the images of the palatal rugae of the models with and without highlighting of the palatal rugae, in order to identify the pairs. Results: The result of overlapping the digital photographs with the images of the models without highlighted palatal rugae resulted in 90% positive identification. For the overlapping of the digital photographs with the images of models with highlighted palatal rugae, there was 100% positive identification. Conclusions: The digital method evaluated in this study was proven effective for human identification.