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Bayesian joint modeling of longitudinal and spatial survival AIDS data
Publication . Martins, Rui; Silva, Giovani L.; Andreozzi, Valeska
"Joint analysis of longitudinal and survival data has received increasing attention
in the recent years, especially for analyzing cancer and AIDS data. As both
repeated measurements (longitudinal) and time-to-event (survival) outcomes are
observed in an individual, a joint modeling is more appropriate because it takes
into account the dependence between the two types of responses, which are often
analyzed separately. We propose a Bayesian hierarchical model for jointly modeling
longitudinal and survival data considering functional time and spatial frailty effects,
respectively. That is, the proposed model deals with nonlinear longitudinal effects
and spatial survival effects accounting for the unobserved heterogeneity among individuals
living in the same region. This joint approach is applied to a cohort study of
patients with HIV/AIDS in Brazil during the years 2002–2006. Our Bayesian joint
model presents considerable improvements in the estimation of survival times of the
Brazilian HIV/AIDS patients when compared with those ones obtained through a
separate survival model and shows that the spatial risk of death is the same across
the different Brazilian states."
Medico-legal age estimation in a sub-adult portuguese population: validation of Atlas Schour and Massler and London
Publication . Cesário, C.; Santos, R.; Pestana, D.; Pereira, Cristiana Palmela
"Introduction: Age estimation in children and adolescents often depends on morphological methods, such as
examination of dental development.
Objectives: The aim of this project was to validate, in a Portuguese population, two forensic methods of dental age estimation – Schour and Massler charts and the London atlas.
Materials and Methods: The test sample was composed by 108 dental radiographs of living and known-age
individuals. Dental age was estimated according to each method. Chronological age was then compared to the
estimated dental age using individual t-test and paired t-test.
Results: Results showed that the Schour and Massler charts underestimated age and the London atlas
overestimated age. Nevertheless, the London atlas performed better in all measures. Mean differences for both the London atlas and Schour and Massler were 0,1389 and -5,4167 months respectively. Schour and Massler charts showed significant statistical difference between dental age and chronological age (p <0.05).
Discussion and Conclusions: We conclude that, in the evaluated sample, age estimation using the London atlas
represents an improvement in forensic age estimation from developing teeth. Further studies should be done with a larger Portuguese population sample."
The medico-legal importance of establishing human identity by palatal rugoscopy: evaluation of the immutability and individuality of palatal rugae under the influence of ante mortem orthodontic treatment
Publication . Gonçalves, A. F.; Diamantino, F.; Pestana, D.; Pereira, C. Palmela
"Introduction: The palatal rugae can be an alternative method of forensic identification. Through the years, several investigations focused on the effect of orthodontic treatment in the palatal rugae pattern.
Objectives: Evaluate the concepts of immutability and individuality of the palatal rugae in a Portuguese adult population submitted to orthodontic treatment, for the purpose of medico-legal identification through Thomas and Kotze classification system. Additionally, we wanted to establish comparison of the palatal rugae of each subject, and between genders.
Materials and Methods: Thirty three pairs of study dental casts, from thirty three patients submitted to orthodontic treatment in the Department of Orthodontics in College of Dentistry - University of Lisbon, were photographed and classified according to the classification system described by Thomas and Kotze. We proceeded to a statistical analysis running SPSS for Windows, version 20.0, using descriptive analysis and tests, with an inclusion level p <0.05. The tests applied were normality tests and T Student for paired samples.
Results: The number and length of primary rugae remain identical when comparing the situation before and after orthodontic treatment. The number of secondary rugae decreases after orthodontic treatment. The variation of the angle of divergence was not statistically significant. The area of primary rugae presented statistically significant reduction after orthodontic treatment. There has no statistically significant differences between genders for total number number of rugae or average length of primary rugae (p <0.05).
Discussion and Conclusion: The palatal rugae pattern does not remain stable after orthodontic treatment, and this refutes the supposed long term stability of the palatal rugae pattern. Therefore, it influences the ability to establish a positive medico-legal identification of a recent copse, if the person was submitted to ante mortem orthodontic treatment. The identification might still be possible if we possess a last ante mortem palatal record in these situations, to allow identification based on positive individual characteristics, through comparison with the post-mortem record. Considering gender, no statistically significant differences were found. This subject remains controversial and deserves further research."
The role of forensic dentistry for identification of a criminal sexual assault: a casework report
Publication . Pereira, Cristiana Palmela; Santos, Jorge Costa
"The identification of an individual from dental traces collected at the crime scene is one of the objectives of the
criminal investigation. When, at the crime scene, objects are found with tooth marks, the intervention of Forensic Dentistry may represent the only way to obtain positive identification of the author’s bite mark. The forensic analysis of a bite mark consists of detection, recognition, description and comparison of bite marks on either individuals or inanimate objects. In this medico-legal casework, a sexual assault, the victim of the crime presented to the forensic examination had a mark on her left arm consistent with a bite mark, probably from the aggressor during the crime perpetration. The protocol followed in this medico-legal casework study is a scientific analysis of the facts which when presented in the court will be defendable under ruthless cross-examination. The pattern association of dental features in this sexual abuse case demonstrated a degree of concordance present between the tooth marks in the victim’s body and the suspect´s dentition."
Injuries of non-lethal child physical abuse to the crania and orofacial regions: a scientific review
Publication . Banheiro, R.; Pereira Escobar, C.; Pereira, Cristiana Palmela
"The literature states that maltreatment in childhood and youth make up a problem on a global scale that exceeds ethnicities, religions, cultures, social and economic classes. It is also said that more than half of the injuries from maltreatment occur in the head and face. Assuming the particular relevance of orofacial structures, the dentist must know how to observe and recognize the indicators and properly diagnose the injury by maltreatment. This scientific review aimed to understand what types of intraoral lesions, signs or external lesions of the head or neck can be associated with child maltreatment. One primary database was searched so that systematic review articles and meta-analysis, case reports or case series of intraoral lesions, signs or external lesions of the head or neck by child maltreatment could be acquired. The references in the works acquired by electronic search were manually researched and the authors of all possibly relevant papers were contacted. In all searches inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Of the twenty two papers included two were systematic reviews and twenty were case reports or case series. The twenty articles of case reports or case series exposed information from thirty-five clinical cases included. Despite the limitations of scientific evidence it can be concluded that oral cavity, head and neck regions are home to multiple and diverse injuries by maltreatment of children and youngsters."
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Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
5876
Funding Award Number
PEst-OE/MAT/UI0006/2014