http://hdl.handle.net/11089/58751 2026-07-07T11:45:47Z http://hdl.handle.net/11089/58756 Estimation of sex and assessment of age based on morphological variations of the atlas vertebra (C1) using Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A retrospective study Devi, Thounaojam Sushma; Rao, Kumuda; Ajila, Vidya; Mullick, Bidisha Background The atlas (C1) vertebra joins the cervical column to the cranial base and differs anatomically from other cervical vertebrae. Skeletal analysis may provide the only way to assess biological sex and age in poorly preserved and decomposed remains to estimate their biological profile. It is thus essential that methods are devised that allow such estimates from a wide range of bones. Aim This study applies Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) to evaluate whether the C1 vertebrae can be used in estimating age and sex. Materials and Methods CBCT of 61 male and 61 female subjects from South India with an age range of 20-60 years were included in the study, and C1 vertebrae were measured using axial and coronal sections. Data were analysed to gen¬erate an equation to predict age according to independent variables using linear regression, while discrimi¬nant analysis was used to derive an equation that classifies the values into either biological sex. Results Male subjects showed higher maximum anteroposterior diameter, maximum transverse diameter, and the distance between the base of the skull and the anterior tubercle than females (p=0.001). The highest standard error for males was observed in the maximum anteroposterior diameter. The base of the skull to the anterior tubercle had the highest standard error among female subjects. The base of skull to posteriori tubercle had the lowest standard error for males, while the angulation from the transverse to the anterior tubercle had the least standard error for females. The accuracy of sex classification was 89.3%. How¬ever, parameters did not demonstrate sufficient reliability for age estimation. ConclusionThe presented parameters may be used for sex determination in forensic identification and other medico-legal practices. In contrast, these parameters are not reliable for age estimation in our sample. 2026-06-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11089/58754 Body height and mass of children and adolescents in Poland: age-specific centile distributions from the 2024–2025 nationwide survey Pastuszak, Anna; Dobosz, Janusz; Sadowska, Dorota IntroductionData on the growth and development of the young generation constitute a reliable indicator of the health and nutritional status of societies. They can be used as a tool for monitoring the social and economic situation of the population as a whole and for identifying groups at risk within it. Study aim The aim of this paper was to present the empirical material underlying the centile estimation of body height and body mass in Polish children and adolescents, to describe the centile modelling procedure, and to report the resulting age-specific distributions of the analysed somatic traits. Materials and methodsOur study has a cross-sectional design and is distinguished by both its large sample size and nationwide coverage. A total of 23,988 students were measured (11,880 boys and 12,108 girls) in 405 schools across all regions of Poland between May 2024 and June 2025. Body height and body mass were measured and analysed statistically. ResultsThe results for body height and body mass are presented as centile charts shown against raw-data scatterplots and supplemented with tables of centile values. ConclusionsThe results presented here may provide a basis for the development of up-to-date reference systems for basic somatic traits in school-aged children and adolescents aged 6–18 years. 2026-05-18T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11089/58755 Sexual Dimorphism at Different Stages of Ontogenesis Based on the Kraków – Longitudinal Growth Study, Poland Żarów, Ryszard; Kowal, Małgorzata; Woronkowicz, Agnieszka; Brudecki, Janusz Introduction and Study Aim The aim of the study is to assess the magnitude of changes in sexual dimorphism with respect to selected morphological traits and the results of physical fitness tests between the ages of 8 and 50. Material and MethodsThe data come from the Kraków Longitudinal Growth Study and pertain to the somatic development and physical fitness of individuals born in 1970 and 1972, conducted in Kraków from 1976 and 1980 up to 2022. The Mollison Index was used to calculate sexual dimorphism. ResultsThe females were shorter, lighter and thinner than the males in all analysed age groups, and differed only with regard to body height in the 13-year-olds. They were characterised by lower stronger hand strength and lower limb explosiveness throughout the analysed period. With the exception of 8-year-olds, the females had smaller arm circumference, shoulder width and thigh circumference than the males at ages 32 and 50, and at age 17, the girls demonstrated larger thigh circumference. Up until adolescence, the girls had greater body fat under the scapula, on the triceps and in the abdomen compared to the boys. However, in both 32–34- and 50-year-olds, the men exhibited greater body fat under the scapula and in the abdomen. ConclusionsA high degree of sexual dimorphism occurs during developmental age – at the end of the adolescence period, especially for fat folds on the triceps and abdomen. Greater dimorphism is observed later, in early adulthood, i.e., at the age of 32–34 years, in terms of height and body weight, as well as body mass index, circumferences – of the arm and thigh, shoulder width, and performance test results. In adulthood (around the age of 50), a noticeable decrease in the degree of sexual dimorphism is observed, which results from the nature of involutional changes. 2026-06-09T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11089/58753 Understanding global dementia burden: Ageing and dairy supply as key predictors of total, male and female dementia incidence You, Wenpeng; Henneberg, Maciej; Feng, Shuhuan IntroductionDementia incidence is rising worldwide, driven largely by population ageing and demographic transition. Although dietary factors have been proposed as modifiable contributors, the role of dairy consumption remains unclear, with inconsistent findings across regions, populations, and product types. Study aim This study examined whether total dairy supply independently predicts dementia incidence at the population level after accounting for key demographic and socioeconomic indicators. Materials and methodsA global ecological analysis was conducted using data from 204 countries. Variables included dairy supply, dementia incidence (total, male, and female), ageing, gross domestic product adjusted for purchasing power parity (GDP PPP), Biological State Index, and urbanisation. Statistical analyses included Pearson and Spearman correlations, partial correlations, principal component analysis, and multivariable linear regression. Enter models were treated as the primary analyses, while stepwise regression was used as an exploratory model-reduction approach. ResultsDairy supply showed significant positive correlations with total dementia incidence (r = 0.54, p < 0.001) and with both male and female dementia incidence (r = 0.53, p < 0.001). Ageing showed the strongest associations across all outcomes (r = 0.73–0.78). In the primary multivariable models, ageing remained the strongest independent predictor of total, male, and female dementia incidence. After adjustment, dairy supply remained an independent predictor, with modest effect sizes for total (β = 0.209, p < 0.001), male (β = 0.190, p = 0.001), and female (β = 0.223, p < 0.001) dementia incidence. Urbanisation and genetic vulnerability were associated with dementia incidence at the bivariate level but were not independent predictors in the adjusted models. Exploratory stepwise analyses showed a similar pattern.ConclusionsAgeing remained the strongest global predictor of dementia incidence, while dairy supply showed an additional independent association. These findings suggest that nutritional transitions may interact with demographic ageing to shape global dementia patterns worldwide. 2026-05-15T00:00:00Z