Considering the high tissue diffusion potential of nicotine, the results suggest the possibility of a direct modulation of the osteoblast activity as a contributing factor to the overall effect of nicotine in the bone microenvironment around dental implants.

Rao et al.'s mandibular canine index (MCI) is a simple odontometric method which uses the mandibular canine as the key to sex estimation. This index is defined as the ratio between the right canine mesiodistal dimension and the mandibular canine arch width. The aim of this study was to contribute to sex estimation using dental techniques by analysing the MCI efficiency, and to propose a new approach for its use. Measurements were taken from 120 plaster casts (70 females) in the 16-30 year age group. Although statistically significant sexual dimorphism was observed in both the mesiodistal dimension and the mandibular canine arch width, the MCI showed a low accuracy in sex classification (54.2% correct identifications). This accuracy was improved to 64.2% using receiver operating characteristics curve analysis. Yet, despite the better accuracy, these results reinforce the idea that the MCI may not be particularly useful in sex prediction, since it may not reflect the same degree of sexual dimorphism as its absolute measures.

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Smoking has an established negative impact in the clinical outcome of dental implants. This work analyses the response of human osteoblastic cells to nicotine, at the surface of plasma-sprayed commercial titanium implants. Human bone marrow (HBM) and Saos-2 cells, seeded on the surface of titanium implants and cultured in experimental conditions favoring osteoblastic differentiation, were exposed continuously to nicotine (0.0001 to 0.5 mg mL(-1)) and characterized for cell proliferation and function. Exposure of HBM cells resulted in increased cell proliferation, higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and earlier onset of matrix mineralization at levels up to 0.2 mg mL(-1), an initial inhibitory effect in cell growth and functional activity followed by a recovery in the presence of 0.3 mg mL(-1) and a dose-dependent deleterious effect at higher levels. By contrast, exposure to nicotine did not affect cell proliferation of Saos-2 cells at levels up to 0.2 mg mL(-1), and caused only a small positive effect in ALP activity in the presence of 0.05 and 0.1 mg mL(-1); however, matrix mineralization by Saos-2 cells also occurred earlier in the cultures exposed to levels of nicotine up to 0.1 mg mL(-1). Higher concentrations caused dose-dependent inhibitory effects. Considering the high diffusion potential of nicotine, results suggest a local role of nicotine in modulating bone formation events at the implant surface.

We described the distribution of risk factors for cardiovascular disease among homeless people living in the city of Porto, Portugal. Comparisons were made between subsamples of homeless people recruited in different settings and between the overall homeless sample group and a sample of the general population. All "houseless" individuals attending one of two homeless hostels or two institutions providing meal programs on specific days were invited to participate and were matched with subjects from the general population. We estimated sex, age and education-adjusted prevalence ratios or mean differences. The prevalence of previous illicit drug consumption and imprisonment was almost twice as high among the homeless from institutions providing meal programs. This group also showed lower mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Prevalence of smoking was almost 50% higher in the overall homeless group. Mean body mass index and waist circumference were also lower in the homeless group and its members were almost five times less likely to report dyslipidemia. Our findings contribute to defining priorities for interventions directed at this segment of society and to reducing inequalities in this extremely underprivileged population.

Forensic age estimation frequently relies upon the chronology of mineralization of the third molar teeth. However, even when present, third molar teeth cannot always be used for estimating age in people who are classified as minors. Seconds molars develop earlier and in a more predictable way, and therefore are often more reliable for age estimation in this age group. This study aims to contribute to forensic age estimation using an age threshold of 14-years, studying the stages of development of permanent mandibular second molar teeth mineralization. 367 orthopantograms of a Portuguese population group, aged between 3 and 19 years, were studied. The stages of mineralization of mandibular permanent second molar teeth were studied following the classification stages proposed by Demirjian et al. Stage descriptive analysis was performed, and associations between age and stage were studied. A logistic regression to determine age over 14 years, using maturation stages and sex as a predictive variables, was made. A second sample was used for testing the model. The significance level was set at 5%. The model correctly classified 92.0% of cases overall. The equation was tested in the second sample, and the results showed that there were no statistical significant differences between the binary real age (i.e. age < 14 and age ≥ 14 years) and the estimated age (p = 0.109). The developed model is useful for age estimation using 14-years as a threshold. However, stage maturation analyses showed that stage F, in males, and stages G and H, in both sexes, lead to an estimated age with significant statistical differences from chronological age.

The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of acts of aggression to the head, face and neck towards victims of Physical Violence against Children and Adolescents (PVCA) who were examined at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences Delegation North (INMLCF-DN) in Porto, Portugal. A study was carried out on 2,148 complaints of physical aggression against children and adolescents (0 to less than 18 years old) occurred between 2009 and 2013 and which were retrieved from information about violence held on INMLCF-DN data files. Continuous variables were described and the association between them was verified by Chi-square or Fischer's Exact tests with 5% significance level. Within the 5-year timespan, 1,380 cases were identified with clinical relation with physical aggression. Most subjects evaluated were male adolescents and the most affected body region was the face, to which 747 injuries (24.7%) were recorded, with statistically significant association between sex and region (head and face). Victims in 15-17-year-old age group are more susceptible to violence than those in the 0-14-year-old age range. Dentists routinely examine the face, neck and skull, which make them the most appropriate health professionals to identify cases of aggression early.

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