Differences in volume, density, electrolyte concentration, and total proteins in the fluid of the paranasal sinuses of freshwater and saltwater drowning victims: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study summarized the available evidence on the differences in volume, density, electrolyte concentration, and total proteins in paranasal sinus fluid between freshwater and saltwater drowning victims. A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases and gray literature, resulting in the inclusion of five studies with 234 drowning victims (92 saltwater incidents and 142 freshwater incidents). Meta-analyses using the inverse-of-variance method and a random-effects model were performed, reporting effect sizes as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The findings showed a significantly higher sinus density in saltwater drowning cases compared to freshwater drowning cases (SMD 0.91, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.32). However, no significant differences were observed in sinus fluid volume. Saltwater drowning victims exhibited higher electrolyte concentrations (sodium: SMD 3.77, 95% CI 3.07 to 4.48; potassium: SMD 0.78, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.49; chloride: SMD 3.48, 95% CI 2.65 to 4.31; magnesium: SMD 4.01, 95% CI 3.00 to 5.03) and lower total protein concentrations (SMD - 1.20, 95% CI - 1.82 to - 0.58) in sinus fluid compared to freshwater drowning victims. This meta-analysis highlights the importance of analyzing the characteristics and composition of sinus fluid in forensic investigations of drowning cases. While no differences were found in sinus fluid volume, saltwater drowning victims exhibited higher sinus density, elevated electrolyte concentrations, and lower total protein concentrations compared to freshwater drowning victims.

Temporal Analysis of Malaria Cases in the Brazilian Yanomami Pediatric Population: A Retrospective Ecologic Study From 2003 to 2022.

This retrospective ecological study investigated malaria incidence among Brazilian Yanomami children and adolescents from 2003 to 2022. Of the 145,573 recorded cases, 75.9% occurred in the Yanomami pediatric population. Moreover, an increase in the proportion of cases among the 10-19 age group has been observed, potentially associated with the recruitment of Indigenous adolescents to mining areas in recent years.

Is facial geometric morphometrics a useful method for age estimation in children and adolescents? Limited evidence and lack of studies leave us with an uncertain answer.

Facial geometric morphometrics is a non-invasive method that has recently shown potential applications, including age estimation, diagnosis of facial abnormalities, monitoring facial development, and evaluating treatment outcomes. A systematic review identified two studies that demonstrated the use of facial geometric morphometrics for age estimation in children and adolescents, showing promising results in terms of accuracy and error. This finding could be particularly relevant in forensic investigations. However, a research agenda should be established to prioritize the assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of facial morphometric geometrics in estimating age among children and adolescents.

Lag time of modern bomb-pulse radiocarbon in human bone tissues: New data from Brazil.

Radiocarbon analysis with reference to the modern bomb-curve was conducted using 68 bone samples of a vertebral body, femoral diaphysis, occipital bone, and parietal bone of 17 adults from Brazil. All individuals were born in 1963, thus analysis focused on the correlation with atmospheric values during the more recent, falling portion of the curve. Ages at death ranged from 43 to 54 years with representation of both sexes. Lag time (difference between the actual death date and the year of correspondence of the radiocarbon value with the curve) was evaluated for each individual and each tissue. The mean of the lag time values was 20.2 years, and the median was 22.0 years. The femur had the highest lag time median (29.5 years) among the bone groups, followed by the occipital (25.5 years), parietal (23.5 years) and the vertebra (8.0 years). The same pattern was observed for both sexes, but females tended to have lower lag time values than males. Different tissues presented considerable variation in lag time with vertebral bodies the least and the femoral diaphysis the greatest. These data suggest that individual age at death and the associated lag time must be considered in estimating the approximate death date. The lag time values for vertebral bodies were lower and with less variability in comparison with values for the occipital, parietal, and femur indicating greater consistency of that bone group for time since death estimation in the studied sample.

Estimating sex and age from a face: a forensic approach using machine learning based on photo-anthropometric indexes of the Brazilian population.

The facial analysis permits many investigations, some of the most important of which are craniofacial identification, facial recognition, and age and sex estimation. In forensics, photo-anthropometry describes the study of facial growth and allows the identification of patterns in facial skull development, for example, by using a group of cephalometric landmarks to estimate anthropological information. Previous works presented, as indirect applications, the use of photo-anthropometric measurements to estimate anthropological information such as age and sex. In several areas, automation of manual procedures has achieved advantages over and similar measurement confidence as a forensic expert. This manuscript presents an approach using photo-anthropometric indexes, generated from frontal faces cephalometric landmarks of the Brazilian population, to create an artificial neural network classifier that allows the estimation of anthropological information, in this specific case age and sex. This work is focused on four tasks: (i) sex estimation on ages from 5 to 22 years old, evaluating the interference of age on sex estimation; (ii) age estimation from photo-anthropometric indexes for four age intervals (1 year, 2 years, 4 years, and 5 years); (iii) age group estimation for thresholds of over 14 and over 18 years old; and; (iv) the provision of a new data set, available for academic purposes only, with a large and complete set of facial photo-anthropometric points marked and checked by forensic experts, measured from over 18,000 faces of individuals from Brazil over the last 4 years. The proposed binary classifier obtained significant results, using this new data set, for the sex estimation of individuals over 14 years old, achieving accuracy values higher than 0.85 by the F1 measure. For age estimation, the accuracy results are 0.72 for the F1 measure with an age interval of 5 years. For the age group estimation, the F1 measures of accuracy are higher than 0.93 and 0.83 for thresholds of 14 and 18 years, respectively.

Analysis of Neoclassical Facial Canons for Brazilian White Young Adults and Comparison With North American Caucasian Population.

An indirect anthropometric study was conducted to find out whether neoclassical facial canons could be applied to the population of Brazilian white young adults. The study was based on standardized facial photographs of 689 women and 666 men aged 30 years ± 6 months. The findings were compared to those observed for the North American Caucasian population. The frequency of 5 canons was assessed: facial thirds; interorbital width; nose and eye widths; mouth and nose widths; and face and nose widths. The assessed population showed the following ratios: tr-n > n-sn (96.01%), n-sn < sn-gn (95.90%), tr-n = sn-gn (42.06%), en-en < al-al (58.08%), en-en < ec-en (59.92%), ch-ch = 1½ al-al (52.61%), and al-al = 1/4 zy-zy (56.67%). When compared to North American Caucasians, only tr-n/n-sn and n-sn/sn-gn were identical. In conclusion, neoclassical facial canons cannot be applied to the Brazilian population, but they could serve as parameters for application in clinical practice and in forensic sciences.

Applicability of a pre-established set of facial proportions from frontal photographs in forensic age estimation of a Brazilian population.

Child pornography on the internet is one of the crimes with highest increasing incidence worldwide. In this specific type of crime, the victim's age has important legal implications. To overcome the lack of scientifically established protocols, European researchers explored and proposed a set of facial proportions obtained from images to estimate age. Within a validation scope, the present study aimed to test the applicability of morphological proportions from frontal photographs of the face to estimate age in a Brazilian population. Standardized frontal view photographs from 800 Brazilians (400 females and 400 males) homogeneously distributed in 4 age groups (6, 10, 14 and 18 years ± 30 days) were randomly selected from a Civilian Database of the Brazilian Federal Police. The selected images were analyzed with the aid of cephalometric landmarks. After landmarking the photographs, eighteen metric relations pre-established by Cattaneo et al. (C. Cattaneo, Z. Obertová, M. Ratnayake, L. Marasciuolo, J. Tutkuviene, P. Poppa, D. Gibelli, P. Gabriel, S. Ritz-Timme, Can facial proportions taken from images be of use for ageing in cases of suspected child pornography? A pilot study, Int. J. Leg. Med. 126 2012 139-144) were assessed and analyzed through parametric statistical tests and discriminant analysis. Two indexes had a moderate correlation with age, while ten had a weak correlation and six were not correlated with age. Eleven indexes were statistically different between sexes (p < 0.05). The discriminant analysis showed that 49.6% of the pooled sample was correctly classified into the respective age group. This percentage increased when each sex was analyzed separately: 50.2% for females and 53.5% for males. The set of facial proportions from frontal images proposed by Cattaneo et al. (2012) is related to facial development. As expected, the discriminant power of this approach did not reach optimal effectiveness in the Brazilian sample. In practice, this age estimation method must be adapted for more reliable application in Brazilians.

Photoanthropometry of the Face in the Young White Brazilian Population.

The aim of the present study is to describe the simplified facial pattern of young Brazilian men and women using the facial index (FI), upper face index (UFI), and nasal index (NI) in indirect anthropometric measurements applied to frontal photographic images. The images were obtained from 660 adult white men and 689 adult white women aged 30 years ± 6 months, and classified according to regions of birth, as follows: south (S), southeast (SE), midwest (MW), northeast (NE), and north (N). The nasion, zygion, gnathion, stomion, subnasale, and alare landmarks were labeled on the images using the SAFF 2D® software. Based on the coordinates, the linear distances between the landmarks of interest were calculated and presented as indices. The analysis of variance and Student's t-test were used for assessing the regions of birth and gender, respectively. The collected data allowed obtaining the facial profile of the young adult Brazilian population. There were differences in the facial profiles between men and women and also between some regions, especially between the N and the other Brazilian regions (p<0.05). The UFI did not show a statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between genders for any of the regions. The discriminant analysis for gender assessment demonstrated higher accuracy when the three indices were analyzed together. In the decision tree for gender assessment, the NI showed better results than the other indices.

Photoanthropometry of the face in the young white brazilian population

Abstract The aim of the present study is to describe the simplified facial pattern of young Brazilian men and women using the facial index (FI), upper face index (UFI), and nasal index (NI) in indirect anthropometric measurements applied to frontal photographic images. The images were obtained from 660 adult white men and 689 adult white women aged 30 years ± 6 months, and classified according to regions of birth, as follows: south (S), southeast (SE), midwest (MW), northeast (NE), and north (N). The nasion, zygion, gnathion, stomion, subnasale, and alare landmarks were labeled on the images using the SAFF 2D® software. Based on the coordinates, the linear distances between the landmarks of interest were calculated and presented as indices. The analysis of variance and Student's t-test were used for assessing the regions of birth and gender, respectively. The collected data allowed obtaining the facial profile of the young adult Brazilian population. There were differences in the facial profiles between men and women and also between some regions, especially between the N and the other Brazilian regions (p<0.05). The UFI did not show a statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between genders for any of the regions. The discriminant analysis for gender assessment demonstrated higher accuracy when the three indices were analyzed together. In the decision tree for gender assessment, the NI showed better results than the other indices.

Resumo O objetivo do estudo é verificar o padrão facial simplificado a partir dos índices facial (IF), da face superior (IFS) e nasal (IN) de homens e mulheres jovens brasileiros a partir da antropometria indireta aplicada em imagens fotográficas em norma frontal. Foram utilizadas imagens de adultos brancos de 30 anos (± 6 meses), sendo 689 do gênero feminino e 660 do masculino, divididos pela região de nascimento, sendo Sul, Sudeste, Centro-oeste, Nordeste e Norte. Os pontos: násio, zígio, gnátio, estômio, subnasal e alar foram marcados nas imagens por meio do software SAFF 2D®. A partir das coordenadas geradas em pixels, foram calculadas as distâncias lineares entre os pontos de interesse, que foram transformadas em índices. Os índices foram analisados estatisticamente de acordo com a região do nascimento pela análise de variância e o gênero pelo teste t de Student. Com os dados foi possível traçar o perfil simplificado da face da população brasileira de adultos jovens por meio da fotoantropometria. Foram observadas diferenças no perfil facial entre os gêneros e também entre algumas regiões, com maior frequência entre a região N e as demais partes do país (p<0,05). Quando separados por regiões do país, o IFS não mostrou diferença estatisticamente significante (p>0,05) entre os gêneros para nenhuma região. A análise discriminante para estimativa de gênero mostra que melhores taxas de acerto são alcançadas quando considerados os três índices em conjunto. Para a árvore de decisão de estimativa de gênero, o IN desempenhou os melhores resultados, quando comparado aos demais índices analisados.

A análise proteômica no contexto forense / The proteomic analysis in the forensic context

Realizou-se uma revisão de literatura consultando as bases de dados Medline, LILACS, BBO e Scielo, de 1997 a 2017, com o objetivo de ressaltar a importância do estudo da proteômica e sua aplicação nas diversas áreas forenses. Conclui-se que a evolução da tecnologia de espectrometria de massa juntamente com os bancos de dados proteômicos aplicados para o estudo das proteínas do corpo humano são de grande importância no contexto forense e podem fornecer subsídios nas diversas áreas da Criminalística, assim como na identificação e diferenciação de fluidos, tecidos e órgãos do corpo humano; na Criminologia no diagnóstico de doenças mentais; na Arqueologia e na Antropologia Forense no estudo da evolução das espécies, na estimativa da ancestralidade, do sexo, da cor dos olhos e cabelo e da idade, auxiliando nos processos de identificação humana.

It was performed a literature review on Medline, LILACS, BBO and Scielo databases from 1997 to 2012 in order to highlight the importance of the study of proteomics and its application in the various forensic areas. It is concluded that the evolution of the technology of mass spectrometry together with the proteomic databases applied to the study of proteins of the human body are of great importance in the forensic context and can provide subsidies in the different areas of Criminalistics as well as in the identification and differentiation of fluids, tissues and organs of the human body; in Criminology in the diagnosis of mental illness; in Archeology and Forensic Anthropology in the study of the evolution of species, in the estimation of ancestry, sex, eye color and hair and age, aiding in the processes of human identification.

A new approach for the analysis of facial growth and age estimation: Iris ratio.

The study of facial growth is explored in many fields of science, including anatomy, genetics, and forensics. In the field of forensics, it acts as a valuable tool for combating child pornography. The present research proposes a new method, based on relative measurements and fixed references of the human face-specifically considering measurements of the diameter of the iris (iris ratio)-for the analysis of facial growth in association with age in children and sub-adults. The experimental sample consisted of digital photographs of 1000 Brazilian subjects, aged between 6 and 22 years, distributed equally by sex and divided into five specific age groups (6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 year olds ± one month). The software package SAFF-2D® (Forensic Facial Analysis System, Brazilian Federal Police, Brazil) was used for positioning 11 landmarks on the images. Ten measurements were calculated and used as fixed references to evaluate the growth of the other measurements for each age group, as well the accumulated growth (6-22 years old). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was applied for the evaluation of intra-examiner and inter-examiner reliability within a specific set of images. Pearson's Correlation Coefficient was used to assess the association between each measurement taken and the respective age groups. ANOVA and Post-hoc Tukey tests were used to search for statistical differences between the age groups. The outcomes indicated that facial structures grow with different timing in children and adolescents. Moreover, the growth allometry expressed in this study may be used to understand what structures have more or less proportional variation in function for the age ranges studied. The diameter of the iris was found to be the most stable measurement compared to the others and represented the best cephalometric measurement as a fixed reference for facial growth ratios (or indices). The method described shows promising potential for forensic applications, especially as part of the armamentarium against crimes involving child pornography and child abuse.

A identificação humana de vítimas de desastres em massa: a importância e o papel da Odontologia Legal / Human identification of victims of mass disasters: the importance and role of Forensic Dentistry

A identificação humana é uma das principais atividades desenvolvidas pela Odontologia Legal. Os desastres em massa são os acidentes, naturais ou produzidos diretamente pela ação ou pela influência humana, que geralmente resultam em um elevado número de vítimas fatais. Os corpos, muitas vezes, encontram-se carbonizados, fragmentados, destruídos ou em processo de decomposição avançada, o que dificulta a identificação das vítimas. Os métodos odontológicos são comumente usados nesses casos, pois os dentes possuem alta resistência e, muitas vezes, são a única fonte que determina a identidade de um indivíduo. Objetivo: analisar, por meio da revisão de diferentes casos da literatura, a importância da Odontologia Legal no processo de identificação humana nos desastres em massa e o trabalho do perito odontolegista. Materiais e método: realizou- -se um levantamento bibliográfico, com base em artigos científicos que relatam casos reais em que o método odontológico de identificação humana foi executado e sua aplicabilidade foi analisada, verificando suas vantagens, limitações e eficiência. Resultados: constatou-se que a Odontologia apresenta uma relevante contribuição para a identificação das vítimas em eventos com múltiplas fatalidades. Não raro, o método odontológico de identificação humana apresentou-se como o único passível de emprego em casos com número demasiado de vítimas fatais ou em situações em que os corpos apresentavam-se com a integridade comprometida. Considerações finais: a Odontologia Legal desempenha um importante papel no processo de identificação de vítimas de desastres em massa, pelo fato de os dentes possuírem características que possibilitam o processo de identificação de um indivíduo, sendo, em algumas situações, o único material passível de análise.

Human identification is one of the main activities developed by Forensic Dentistry. Mass disasters are accidents either natural or directly caused by human action or influence, which usually result in a high death toll. Bodies are often charred, fragmented, destroyed, or in advanced decomposition, which complicates the process of identifying the victims. Dental methods are commonly used in these cases due to the high resistance of the teeth. Hence, they are frequently the only source that may determine the identity of an individual. Objective: to analyze through the review of different cases in literature, the importance of Forensic Dentistry in the process of human identification in mass disasters, as well as the role of the forensic dentist. Materials and methods: a literature survey was performed from scientific papers describing real cases in which the dental method for human identification was performed and its applicability was analyzed, to verify its advantages, limitations, and efficiency. Results: it was found that Dentistry has a significant contribution to the identification of victims in events of multiple fatalities. The dental method was often the only possible method of human identification in cases with either too many fatal victims or situations where the bodies were too compromised for analysis. Final considerations: Forensic Dentistry plays an important role in the process of human identification of victims of mass disasters because teeth have features that allow the identification process of an individual, and sometimes it is the only material capable of analysis.

Effects of sulfur-based hemostatic agents and gingival retraction cords handled with latex gloves on the polymerization of polyvinyl siloxane impression materials

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the possible interactions between three addition silicone materials (Express®, Aquasil Ultra® and Adsil®), three hemostatic agents (ferric sulfate, StatGel FS®; aluminum sulfate, GelCord®; and aluminum chloride, Hemostop®) and gingival retraction cords previously handled with latex gloves to determine whether direct contact with medicaments or indirect contamination by latex in conditions similar to those found in clinical practice inhibit or affect the setting of the impression materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A portable device for the simultaneous test of several specimens was specifically developed for this study. Polymerization inhibition was analyzed by examination of the impressions and the molded surface. Ten trials were performed for each addition silicone material used in the study, at a total of 240 study samples. RESULTS: All the samples tested (N=240) were nonreactive regardless of the type of combination used. CONCLUSIONS: Aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate and aluminum chloride hemostatic solutions did not show any inhibitory potential on the addition silicone samples under study, and there were no changes in polymerization as a result of contact between addition silicone and retraction cords handled with latex gloves.

Effects of sulfur-based hemostatic agents and gingival retraction cords handled with latex gloves on the polymerization of polyvinyl siloxane impression materials.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the possible interactions between three addition silicone materials (Express®, Aquasil Ultra® and Adsil®), three hemostatic agents (ferric sulfate, StatGel FS®; aluminum sulfate, GelCord®; and aluminum chloride, Hemostop®) and gingival retraction cords previously handled with latex gloves to determine whether direct contact with medicaments or indirect contamination by latex in conditions similar to those found in clinical practice inhibit or affect the setting of the impression materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A portable device for the simultaneous test of several specimens was specifically developed for this study. Polymerization inhibition was analyzed by examination of the impressions and the molded surface. Ten trials were performed for each addition silicone material used in the study, at a total of 240 study samples. RESULTS: All the samples tested (N=240) were nonreactive regardless of the type of combination used. CONCLUSIONS: Aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate and aluminum chloride hemostatic solutions did not show any inhibitory potential on the addition silicone samples under study, and there were no changes in polymerization as a result of contact between addition silicone and retraction cords handled with latex gloves.

Afastamento gengival: uma visão atual dos especialistas em prótese dentária do Distrito Federal / Gingival displacement: a current view of dental prosthesis specialists from Brasilia, (Federal District), Brazil

Objetivos: O presente estudo teve por finalidade, traçar o perfil dos cirurgiões dentistas especialistas em Prótese Dentária do Distrito Federal no que se refere à manipulação dos tecidos gengivais em Prótese Fixa, buscando a compreensão dos dados obtidos na população estudada. Métodos: Tratou-se de um estudo transversal, de caráter analítico e descritivo, cuja metodologia consistiu no envio, via correio, de questionários a todos os dentistas especialistas em Prótese Dentária do Distrito Federal, no período de junho/2006 a agosto/2006. Resultados: Dos 300 questionários enviados, 115 (38,3%) foram devolvidos devidamente respondidos. Com base no tamanho da amostra (n=115) e no nível de significância escolhido (p<0,05), o erro da pesquisa foi definido em 7%. Para análise estatística, utilizou-se o método Qui-Quadrado e Exato de Fisher. Conclusão: A partir dos resultados obtidos, pôde-se concluir que: (1) os principais métodos de afastamento utilizados foram o mecânico e mecânico-químico; (2) embora a diferença não seja estatisticamente significante, houve maior número de respostas positivas para utilização da técnica mecânico-quimica; (3) os métodos adotados nos cursos de especialização influenciaram positivamente os dentistas na escolha do método de afastamento; (4) o domínio de apenas uma das técnicas não foi considerado suficiente para resolução de todos os casos clínicos; (5) o principal requisito levado em conta para seleção da técnica de afastamento gengival foi o biológico, associado à previsibilidade dos resultados clínicos e; (6) o conhecimento dos especialistas em Prótese Dentária do Distrito Federal foi considerado satisfatório à luz dos achados da literatura científica.

Objectives: The objective of the present essay is to establish the profile of the surgeon-dentists specialized in Dental Prosthesis coming from Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil concerning the manipulation of the gingival tissue in Fixed Prosthesis, aiming at understanding the data gathered from the studied population. Methods: The present study is transversal presenting analytical and descriptive characteristics and the methodology consisted of questionnaires which were sent to all dentists specialized in Dental Prosthesis in the Federal District, from June 2006 to August 2006. Results: Of the 300 questionnaires sent, 115 (38.3%) returned duly answered. On the basis of the size of the sample (n=115) and in the chosen level of significance (p< 0.05), the error of the research was defined in 7%. The authors used Qui-square and Exact Fisher tests for measuring. Conclusions: It was concluded that: 1) the main gingival displacement methods used were the mechanical and chemical-mechanical; 2) although the difference was not statistically significant, there was a greater number of positive answers for the chemic-mechanical technique 3) the methods adopted during the specialization training courses positively influenced the dentists regarding the election of the gingival displacement method; 4) being acquainted and using only one technique was not enough in order to solve all clinical cases; 5) the main criteria used to select the gingival displacement technique was the biological, associated to the predictability of the clinical results and 6) the knowledge of the Specialists in Dental Prosthesis coming from the Federal District was considered satisfactory according to the findings of the scientific literature.

Absortividade de fios de afastamento gengival embebidos em soluções adstringentes à base de cloreto de alumínio / Gingival retraction cords absoption after soaking in aluminium chloride solutions

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, in vitro, a absortividade de fios de afastamento quando imersos em soluções de cloreto de alumínio ou água destilada. Foram utilizadas amostras de fios das marcas Ultrapack® (n = 15), Hemodent® (n = 15), Gengiret® (n = 15) e Stay-put® (n = 9) e de fios de algodão torcidos manualmente (n = 15). Os fios foram inicialmente pesados (PI) em balança analítica. Cada grupo amostral foi dividido em três subgrupos iguais, e os fios imersos em soluções de água e de cloreto de alumínio (Hemostesin® ou Hemostop®) por 30 segundos, sendo aferido o peso úmido (PU). Após esse período, os fios foram recolocados em recipientes com as soluções e submetidos à compressão por bloco de 60 gramas por 30 segundos, sendo seu peso aferido (PUC).O volume absorvido pelos fios antes da compressão (AC) e após (PC) foi determinado, sendo consideradas significativas as diferenças com P < 0,0001 utilizando o teste Schefeé. Amostras de algodão e Stay-put® absorveram mais água e Hemostesim® do que Hemostop®;o fio Ultrapack® absorveu mais Hemostop® que as demais soluções e o fio Hemodent® mais água que Hemostesim®. A determinação das razões PU:PI e PUC:PI revelaram incremento de peso semelhante entre as marcas (5x), exceto pelo algodão (20x). O índice (PU:PI):(PUC:PI) demonstrou que a compressão não influenciou na absortividade das amostras analisadas. Os resultados do presente estudo fornecem evidências da influência do processo de embebição em fios de afastamento gengival. As amostras das diferentes marcas de fios apresentaram comportamentos distintos quanto à absortividade em relação às soluções testadas. A compressibilidade não influenciou na capacidade absortiva dos fios.

The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro absorption of different types of gingival retraction cords after soaking in aluminum chloride solutions or distillated water. The retraction cords tested were of the brands Ultrapack® (n = 15), Hemodent® (n = 15), Gengiret® (n = 15), Stay-put® (n = 9) and cotton cords manually twisted (n = 15). The cords were individually weighed on an analytical balance (PI). Each sample group was equally divided in three subgroups and the pieces of cords soaked in water, Hemostesin® or Hemostop® solutions for 30s and the hydrated weights were registered (PU). Thus, the samples were replaced in the recipients of the solutions and submitted to a compression of 60 g for more 30 s and the weights were registered again (PUC). The liquids uptake before (AC) and after (PC) the compressions were registered and the significant differences (P < 0.0001) were detected using a Schefee test. The cotton and Stay-put® samples had uptake more water and Hemostesin®. Ultrapack® absorbed more Hemostop® than the other solutions and Hemodent® had uptake more water than Hemostesin®. The rates PU/PI and PUC/PI showed a weight increase similar among the different cords brands (around 5-fold), excepting the cotton cords (around 20-fold). The rate (PU/PI)/ (PUC/PI) revealed that the compression did not influence the samples liquid uptake. The analyzed pieces of gingival retraction cords showed different extents of fluid absorbency. The cords compression did not significantly influence their absorbency capacity.