Eduardo Gomes Ferraz

Lipidomics in the study of lipid metabolism: Current perspectives in the omic sciences.

The advances in systems biology and in the development of new technological tools in analysis, as well as in the omic sciences, among which, metabolomics, and more specifically, lipidomics, have made it possible to investigate the structural and functional complexity of lipids in biological systems. Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are the analytical approaches most used in lipid research. Biomedical research, with the development of specific markers for lipids, together with new software development, have both enabled the early diagnosis of several illnesses, besides the evaluation of drug activity and treatment efficacy.

Effect of different surface processing protocols in three-dimensional images for rapid prototyping

The aim of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of virtual three-dimensional reconstructions of human dry mandibles, produced with different surface processing protocols. Three-dimensional images were built from computed tomography scans of 10 dry mandibles, and the surface was smoothed, refined, or both, generating 30 different images. Linear measurements from anatomical landmarks were calculated and compared with the corresponding measurements of the original dry mandible (gold standard). The results showed no differences between the models that were just refined or just smoothed (p>0.05), when compared to the gold standard. When these two tools were applied together, there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.01). In conclusion, the application of a single processing tool (smoothing or refinement) in the virtual models does not affect the anatomical measures. However, the simultaneous application of both tools increases the differences between the reconstructions and the original anatomical parts.

Evaluation of the quality of different endodontic obturation techniques by digital radiography

ObjectivesThis study was aimed to evaluate different endodontic obturation techniques (Thermafil, lateral condensation, and Tagger’s hybrid technique) regarding the homogeneity of the obturation radiopacity.Materials and methodsSeventy roots of human upper central incisors were filled using the Thermafil system, lateral condensation. and Tagger’s hybrid technique. Radiopacity of the filling was evaluated based on mean of grey levels, and its homogeneity was assessed by the coefficient of variation (CV), analyzing the histograms obtained of digitized and digital radiographs.ResultsThe increase in mean grey levels (p < 0.001) and reduction in the CV (p < 0.05) were higher for Tagger’s hybrid technique compared with other methods.ConclusionsTagger’s hybrid technique provided better homogeneity of the obturation radiopacity and better apical sealing compared with lateral condensation technique.Clinical relevanceThe results suggest that Tagger’s hybrid technique provided the best compaction of the root canal filling material, an important factor for the sealing of obturations and, consequently, for the effectiveness of treatment.

Association between childhood obesity and oral hygiene status

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral hygiene status in pediatric obese patients. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2011 to 2012, which evaluated 180 Brazilian pediatric patients, 6-14 years old, girls and boys, recruited according to two Body Mass Index (BMI) categories: obese and non-obese (healthy weight). For the evaluation the oral hygiene status, the study used Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) and Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI). RESULTS According to the total sample, 5/60 obese (8.3%) and 57/120 non-obese (47.5%) had good OHI, while 23/60 obese (38.4%) and 3/120 non-obese (2.5%) were classified in a low level of OHI, with a significance between the groups (p < 0.001), even after sorting by age. According to the classification of GBI, 60/60 obese (100.0%) and 89/120 non-obese (74.2%) had GBI 1 (bleeding gingiva), and 0/60 obese and 31/120 non-obese (25.8%) were classified as GBI 0 (healthy gingiva), with a significance between the groups (p < 0.001), even after sorting by age. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that OHI and GBI were significantly higher in the obese children group.

Comparison of two visual methods for detecting caries among obese and non-obese children

Abstract Objective: The study aimed to compare two visual methods for detecting caries among obese and non-obese children in Salvador, Brazil. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2011–2012, which evaluated 180 paediatric patients, 6–14 years old, girls and boys, categorized into two groups: obese and non-obese (healthy weight), according to the body mass index. For the evaluation of dental caries, the decayed, missing or filled teeth index (DMFT/dmft) and International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II) visual criteria were used. Results: The mean DMFT value was 0.98 in obese children and 0.57 in the non-obese children, without significant differences between groups (p = 0.206). The mean dmft value in the non-obese children (1.66) was higher than in obese children (0.95), with significant differences between groups (p = 0.021). According to ICDAS II criteria, there was a higher prevalence of non-cavitated enamel lesions (D1–3) in obese children (n = 156, 10.5%) compared to the non-obese children (n = 55, 1.9%), with significant differences between the groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The inclusion of non-cavitated lesions during the caries evaluation represents a challenge in diagnosis, which allows for control of this process before the evolution of these lesions to cavitation.

Dimensional error of three-dimensional images generated by different software.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions generated by different software, computed tomography (CT) scanners and slice thicknesses. Ten human dry mandibles were scanned by CT and cone beam CT (CBCT). Digital files were processed in different software systems and 3D reconstructions were performed. Linear measures were made and compared. The results showed significant differences in linear distances between the human dry mandibles and their 3D reconstructions. The relative error from CBCT images ranged from 3.10 to 4.82% and from 3.40 to 5.92% in CT images. It is important to consider that the performance of the software is not just related to the algorithm used, but mostly with its handling, that can facilitate or not the measurement by the operator. In conclusion, the discrepancies were not greater than 0.58 mm, so they should not affect the image quality.