Background Understanding the anatomy and morphological variability of the orbital region is of great importance in clinical practice, forensic medicine, and biological anthropology. Several methods are used to estimate sex based on the skeleton or parts of the skeleton: classic methods and the geometric morphometric method. The objective of this research was to analyse sex estimation of the orbital region on a sample of skulls from a Bosnian population using the geometric morphometric method. Materials and Methods The research was conducted on three-dimensional models of 211 human adult skulls (139 males and 72 females) from the Osteological Collection at the Faculty of Medicine in Sarajevo. The skulls were recorded using a laser scanner to obtain skull 3D models. We marked 12 landmarks on each model to analyse sexual dimorphism. Landmarks were marked using the program Landmark Editor. After marking the landmarks, we used the MorphoJ program to analyse the morphological variability between male and female orbital regions. Results After Procrustes superimposition, generating a covariant matrix, and introducing sex as a variable for classification, a discriminant functional analysis (DFA) was applied which determined the estimation for males with 86.33% accuracy and for females with 88.89% based on the form of the orbital region. The results of regression analysis showed that the size of the orbital region has a statistically significant effect on its shape's sexual dimorphism. After excluding the influence of size and providing DFA, we concluded that sex estimation was possible with 82.01% accuracy for males and 80.55% accuracy for females based on the shape of the orbital region in the examined sample. Conclusion Sex estimation based on the orbital region was possible with more than 80% accuracy for both sexes, which is a high percentage of correct estimation. Therefore, we recommend using the orbital region of the skull for sex estimation.

OBJECTIVE The hard palate participates in the construction of the oral and nasal cavities and represents the bony barrier between them. Morphological differences of the hard palate are important for forensic medicine, anthropology, anatomy, as well as scientific branches dealing with the study of evolutionary development, populations differences. The aim of this study was to determine sexual dimorphism of hard palate on three-dimensional (3D) models of human skulls using geometric morphometry. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research was conducted on 3D models of 209 human skulls from Bosnian population (139 male, 70 female). On the obtained 3D models, we marked landmarks on the palate using Landmark editor program. Using MorphoJ program we analyzed sex differences of shape and size on hard palate. RESULTS The principal component analysis showed that the first two components (PC1 and PC2) described 55.503% of the total morphological variability of the hard palate. The results of the discriminant analysis showed predictive power for male with 66.91% accuracy and for female with 58.57% accuracy based on the shape and size of the hard palate. The influence of size of the hard palate on its shape was statistically significant (p<0.0001). The results of discriminant analysis based on shape of hard palate showed predictive power for male with 68.34% accuracy and for female with 64.29% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Sex differences of hard palate are statistically significant and can be used for sex determination in skeletal remains. The percentage of accuracy for determining sex based on the hard palate was higher for men in this study.

BACKGROUND Piriform aperture is anterior opening of the nasal cavity formed by bones of the viscerocranium and knowledge about differences between genders is important for forensic scientists, anthropologists, orthopedists, neurosurgeons and vascular surgeons. The aim of this study was to examine gender differences of piriform aperture on 3D models of human skulls originating from Bosnian population using the geometric morphometric method. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted on 211 3D models of human skulls of known gender. 3D models were obtained by laser scanning. We analyzed the gender differences of piriform aperture using geometric morphometrics method. On 3D models we marked four landmarks on piriform aperture in the Landmark editor program, after which we analyzed its gender differences in MorphoJ program. RESULTS The first PCA axis described 40.398% of total variability of piriform aperture. The greatest gender variability was present in the position of the landmark rhinion. Discriminant functional analysis of the shape and size of the piriform aperture allowed the gender determination with 64.03% accuracy for male and 70.83% accuracy for female gender. The size of the piriform aperture showed a statistically significant difference between genders. Discriminant functional analysis of the shape of the piriform aperture without affecting size enabled gender determination with 59.71% accuracy for male and 62.5% accuracy for female. CONCLUSIONS Analysis showed statistically significant differences in the shape and size of piriform aperture between genders. The accuracy for gender determination based on piriform aperture was higher in females.

Aim To determine the degree of accuracy in determining the sex of the skull based on classical morphometric analysis of the mastoid process. Morphometric analysis excluded a subjective approach expressed in osteoscopic analysis. Methods The study was conducted on a sample of 100 macerated skulls of known gender and age from the second half of the 20th century, including the Bosnian population. Of the 100 skulls, 50 (50%) were male and 50 (50%) were female. Male skulls were on average 60 (47-71) years old and female 57 (43-76) years old. At each mastoid process, 3 measurements were made: mastoid length, mastoid width (medio-lateral diameter) ML) and anteroposterior diameter (AP) of the mastoid process. Results Using the univariate method, we found a significant difference between length, width, AP diameter and size of mastoid processes as well as between gender (p <0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression showed statistically significant differences in AP diameter of the mastoid process (p<0.05). Conclusion The created model "P" ("P"=exp [X]/1+exp [X]) for sex determination based on mastoid process showed sensitivity of 82% correct prediction for female skulls and 65% accurate prediction for male skulls. This discourse with respect of population standards grants most effective anthropological proof and as such may be suggested for forensic expertise based on human skull.

Introduction: The main aim of the study was to examine the interdependence of values of the nutrition index, the use of medicaments, and alcohol consumption in the group of subjects with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in control group without PTSD. Methods: To determine the interdependence of different indices of nutrition and the alcohol and drug consumption in both groups, the crosstab model was used. Results: In both of the tested groups, medicament users had higher average values for nutritional indexes compared to the subjects that are not the consumers of medicaments, but the confirmed differences were not statistically significant. The subjects with PTSD who consume alcohol had lower average values for nutritional indexes compared to the subjects who do not consume alcohol. In the control group, subjects who consumed alcohol had higher mean values for nutritional indexes than those who did not consume alcohol. Differences in the values of the nutrition index between alcohol and non-alcohol subjects were not statistically significant either in the PTSD group or in the control group. The subjects with PTSD had less average values of all the used nutrition indexes compared to the control group subjects, but the confirmed differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our results indicate that medicaments use and alcohol consumption do not exert a statistically significant effect on the values of the nutrition index in any of the study groups. Possible concomitant use of drugs with the opposite effect on the monitored parameter (nitrazepam and amitriptyline vs. SSRI and bupropion) can lead to findings like this. We recommend further research to eliminate influence of pharmacodynamic effects of alcohol, drugs, and stress on the development of weight gain or loss.

Objective: Morphological differences between sexes are also reflected in the skull bones, which can be used for sex determination of skulls. Our objectives were to observe the osteoscopic features of skulls and determine the frequency of characteristic female features in female skulls and the frequency of characteristic male features in male skulls in the observed sample; also to determine the prediction (effectiveness) of sex determination based on observed morphognostic (osteoscopic) features of the skulls and determine the most frequent and the least frequent morphognostic feature both in male and in female skulls in our tested sample. Methods and materials: The research was conducted on a sample of 211 macerated and degreased adult skulls (139 were male skulls and 72 were female skulls). Qualitative (osteoscopic) analysis included observation of the following: prominence of frontal tuber; prominence of superciliary arch and glabella; appearance of supraorbital margin; appearance of orbit; width of root of nose; prominence of mastoid process; contours of muscle insertions; size of teeth and face shape.         Results: Univariately, all ten observed morphognostic skull features showed statistically significant effect on sex determination, while prominence of superciliary arch and glabella proved to be the best morphognostic features with 90% accuracy, followed by prominence of muscle insertions with 82% accuracy, and prominence of mastoid process with 75% accuracy. Using multivariate binary logistic regression, we tested the effect of observed morphognostic features on sex determination and found that the only morphognostic features that had a statistically significant effect on sex determination were prominence of  superciliary arch and glabella and size of mastoid process. Multivariate effect of the prominence of muscle insertions on sex determination is borderline (p=0.052). Conclusion: Univariately, the greatest predictive effect for prediction of male sex is shown by the prominence of superciliary arch and glabella, prominence of muscle insertions and mastoid process. Multivariately, morphognostic features of prominence of superciliary arch and glabella, as well as the size of mastoid process show a statistically significant effect on sex determination. Effect of the prominence of muscle insertions is borderline. Key words: Skull, sexual dimorphism, osteoscopy, binary logistic regression