In humans and dogs, especially brachycephalics, enlargement of the esophageal hiatus and insufficiency have been correlated with decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure and increased frequency of gastroesophageal reflux. In cats, it has been suggested that gastroesophageal reflux occurs frequently with upper airway obstruction, including brachycephalics. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to determine whether the esophageal hiatal cross-sectional surface area (EH-CSA) differs between brachycephalic and nonbrachycephalic cats. Clinical records and CT images of cats that underwent thoracic, abdominal, and entire skull CT at multiple centers between January 2015 and September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Esophageal hiatal parameters (EH-CSA, EH-long axis diameter, and EH-short axis diameter) and craniometric indices (cranial index, skull index, and facial index) were measured by using multiplanar reconstruction, and the correlation of craniometry with EH-CSA was investigated. Ninety-eight cats (group 1: 42 brachycephalic cats and group 2: 56 nonbrachycephalic cats) were included. Esophageal hiatal cross-sectional surface area in brachycephalic cats was significantly larger than that in nonbrachycephalic cats. The EH-CSA significantly increased with the craniometric indices tending to increase with brachycephalism. The present study contributes to the veterinary literature by providing the EH-CSA as anatomical evidence that could likely correlate to gastroesophageal reflux predisposition in brachycephalic cats.

As technology has developed in recent years, the use of three-dimensional (3D) scanners and printers has become widespread in the medical field. However, since this field is new, all kinds of methodological and experimental related studies gain importance. This study aimed to identify the differences between the calliper measurements by determining the craniometric data on the models constructed by scanning the crania of New Zealand Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.), preferred as experimental animals, with a three-dimensional scanner. Therefore, a total of 12 New Zealand rabbits including 6 females and 6 males were used. After the crania that comprised the study material were macerated, they were subjected to 3D scanning. After the scanning process was completed, they were craniometrically measured both on the scanned models and by using a digital calliper. Analysis of the craniometric data of the 3D scanner showed that there was a difference between sexes at the level of p < 0.05 in widest length between the external acoustic meatus (WLBEAM), skull width and Foramen magnum height (FMH) parameters and cranial index data, and at the level of p < 0.001 in the largest nasal width (LNW) parameter. A statistical difference was found between sexes in frontal length, WLBEAM, LNW and FMH parameters and cranial index values in craniometric data collected with the digital calliper (p < 0.05). Consequently, the data collected in this study were found to be close to each other in both methods, suggesting that the 3D scanner may be used in morphometric studies.

The objective of this study is to analyze the accuracy and applicability of the AncesTrees software with respect to a set of cranial measurements of a Brazilian sample consisting of 114 identified skulls from two osteological collections, predominantly composed of European (n = 59), African (n = 35), and admixed individuals (n = 20). Twenty-four different craniometric measurements are performed and input to AncesTrees via two algorithms, one of which is used in three configurations, with different ancestral groups integrated in the model. The software exhibits superior performance in the estimation of European individuals, reaching 73% accuracy, compared with 66% in the African individuals. Those individuals classified as admixed produce a variety of ancestral classifications, mainly European. Overall, the most accurate combination of AncesTrees is obtained using ancestralForest with only the European and African groups integrated into the algorithm, where the accuracy reaches 70%. The applicability of this software to a specific population is fragile because of the high admixing load, making it necessary to create a more representative anthropometric database of the Brazilian people.
UNASSIGNED: Ancestry estimation methods are seldom validated in Brazil.AncesTrees performed poorly on our sample, with a maximum accuracy of 70%.Brazil\'s highly mixed population hinders ancestry estimation.Mixed individuals (pardos) are predominantly classified as Europeans.The insertion of Brazilian metric data into the AncesTrees database would produce better results.

Siirt-colored Mohair goat is one of the breeds that contributed significantly to the existence of Mohair goats reared in Turkey. Morphological and morphometric characteristics of the Siirt-colored Mohair goat remained vague owing to a lack of studies. Recent advances in high-tech imaging have replaced conventional two-dimensional anatomical structures with three-dimensional (3D) models. In our study, morphometric features were determined by 3D modeling from computed tomography images obtained from the skull and mandibular bones of Siirt-colored Mohair goats. For this purpose, the skulls and mandibular bones of 20 Siirt-colored Mohair goats (10 females and 10 males) were used. The images were reconstructed with the help of a particular software program. The craniometric data were analyzed in terms of sexual dimorphism, and statistically significant difference was found in the A5, A18, and A31 measurement parameters (P<0.05) and Skull index (P<0.01) parameters. In the mandible measurements, there was a statistically significant difference between the sexes in C5, C10 measurement points (P<0.05), C2, C8, C12, C18, C21 measurement points (P<0.001) and surface area parameter (P<0.01). The morphometric data obtained is a resource in the fields of zoo archaeology, anatomy, forensics, anesthesia, surgery, and treatment.

The purpose of this study was to identify the dimorphic structures of the orbita based on breed and sex factors through shape analysis across species. Additionally, the study aimed to ascertain the variability between the two species. A total of 86 (51 sheep-Akkaraman [Ak] and Morkaraman [Mk], 35 goats-Hair [Hr] and Honamlı [Hm]) skulls were used in the study. It was decided to designate 36 landmarks to represent the orbit\'s edge. In the principal component analysis, 68 PCs were calculated. It was determined that PC1, PC2 and PC3 explained the total variance in morphology by 26.909%, 16.147% and 13.616%, respectively. According to the cross-validation results, the goats were grouped with 95% (Hm: 100%, Hr: 90%), while the sheep were grouped with 56% (Ak: 50%, Mk: 63%). Therefore, dimorphism among goat breeds on orbita shape was more pronounced compared to sheep. In the discriminant function analysis of the sex groups, Procrustes and Mahalanobis distance values in goats were 0.04425425 (p < 0.0001) and 5.3733 (p = 0.9550), in sheep 0.03513424 (p < 0.0001) and 7.1003 (p = 0.9414), respectively, was detected. According to the cross-validation results, in terms of sex, goats were correctly grouped at a rate of 74% (F: 73%; M: 75%) and sheep breeds were correctly grouped at a rate of 72% (F: 77%; M: 66%). Factors such as habitat selection, breeding behaviours and ecological environment may show anatomical differences within breeds as well as between breeds. Therefore, various measurement techniques are used to reveal these differences. As a result, it is thought that the study will contribute to many disciplines, especially taxonomy and zooarchaeology, by analysing the shape of the orbita of sheep and goat breeds, the domestication of which dates back to ancient times, and revealing the similarities and differences between species and according to sex.

Microbes colonize anatomical sites in health to form commensal microbial communities (e.g., commensal gut microbiota, commensal skin microbiota, commensal oral microbiota). Commensal microbiota has indirect effects on host growth and maturation through interactions with the host immune system. The commensal microbiota was recently introduced as a novel regulator of skeletal growth and morphology at noncraniofacial sites. Further, we and others have shown that commensal gut microbes, such as segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), contribute to noncraniofacial skeletal growth and maturation. However, commensal microbiota effects on craniofacial skeletal growth and morphology are unclear. To determine the commensal microbiota\'s role in craniofacial skeletal growth and morphology, we performed craniometric and bone mineral density analyses on skulls from 9-week-old female C57BL/6T germ-free (GF) mice (no microbes), excluded-flora (EF) specific-pathogen-free mice (commensal microbiota), and murine-pathogen-free (MPF) specific-pathogen-free mice (commensal microbiota with SFB). Investigations comparing EF and GF mice revealed that commensal microbiota impacted the size and shape of the craniofacial skeleton. EF versus GF mice exhibited an elongated gross skull length. Cranial bone length analyses normalized to skull length showed that EF versus GF mice had enhanced frontal bone length and reduced cranial base length. The shortened cranial base in EF mice was attributed to decreased presphenoid, basisphenoid, and basioccipital bone lengths. Investigations comparing MPF mice and EF mice demonstrated that commensal gut microbes played a role in craniofacial skeletal morphology. Cranial bone length analyses normalized to skull length showed that MPF versus EF mice had reduced frontal bone length and increased cranial base length. The elongated cranial base in MPF mice was due to enhanced presphenoid bone length. This work, which introduces the commensal microbiota as a contributor to craniofacial skeletal growth, underscores that noninvasive interventions in the gut microbiome could potentially be employed to modify craniofacial skeletal morphology. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

The Balkan Peninsula region has a very diverse agricultural and livestock tradition, and almost every country has its own local breed of sheep. Different breeds of sheep and different breeding traditions, despite the small geographical distance, determine the morphological and morphometric variability among animal breeds. In this study, this morphological diversity among the skulls of sheep breeds of some countries in the Balkan region was examined by the geometric morphometric method. 2D images of 86 sheep skulls from five different countries were analyzed from the dorsal view.Sixteen landmarks were used. The Bardhoka and the Ivesi breed have the broadest distributions of skull shape amongst the sheep breeds. The Ruda sheep is the most morphologically conservative. The sheep from Turkey (Ivesi) and Kosovo (Bardhoka) seem to differ mainly from sheep from other Balkan countries. Bardhoka and Ruda differ most from each other (p < 0.0001). The next biggest differences were between Ivesi and Ruda (p < 0.0011) and between Bardhoka and Sharri sheep (p < 0.0016). The sheep breeds Dubska and Lara e Polisit differ the least from each other. Geometrics morphometric analysis is a useful tool to detect differences in the shape of the skull of different sheep breeds and can therefore be used successfully for taxonomic purposes.

Facial reconstruction is the most frequently used method for human identification in forensic examinations. It is a complex and time-consuming technique and an actively growing field with a wide array of applications. The methods of forensic facial reconstruction are helpful in those cases where other methods of identification are not applicable. Identification of the dead is always a challenging task for forensic teams in cases involving terrorists\' attacks and mass disasters where the corpses are fragmented, decomposed, and skeletonized. In such cases, only the skeletal remains and few other clues are available to establish the identity of a person. The progress of facial reconstruction was initiated in the nineteenth century, reconstructing the facial profiles of some famous and rich people. Various novel techniques for facial reconstruction have been devised in the recent past. We conducted literature search, using databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect for analyzing different methods developed and practiced till date for human facial reconstruction. We outline the brief history along with a discussion regarding the different methods of forensic facial reconstruction and their limitations. We also discuss future recommendations and preferences for further research in the field of forensic facial reconstruction and human identification.

Background. Establishing an accurate occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) is a crucial clinical step during full-mouth rehabilitation. Various techniques have been suggested to evaluate OVD, but none of them is practically reliable, and each one has its shortcomings. The correlation between facial proportions and the lower third of the face is a reliable method but needs to be verified in many ethnic groups. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the correlation between OVD and various facial measurements in a Tunisian ethnic group. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2020 to January 2021. The participants were randomly selected from dental students, dental surgeons, and the patients referring to the University Dental Clinic for dental treatments. Seven facial measurements were clinically recorded using a digital caliper. The correlation between OVD and facial measurements was analyzed using Spearman\'s coefficient and linear regression analysis. Results. A total of 201 dentate participants (134 females and 67 males) were included in the study. The mean OVD in male subjects was higher (67.60±4.49) compared to female subjects (60.72±3.84). The total facial height was positively correlated with OVD in both genders. OVD was statistically correlated with the height of the upper lip. This correlation was highly significant in males while it was weak in the female group. Conclusion. Facial proportions and linear equations are non-invasive, simple, and reliable methods to predict OVD, especially in males.

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