Objectives The temporal bone, particularly its petrous portion, is highly dense and resilient, preserving its morphology under extreme conditions. This study aimed to three-dimensionally measure the volume of bone and air of the temporal bone using computed tomography (CT) and to develop an objective, high-accuracy sex estimation model for a contemporary Japanese population. Methods CT images of 120 Japanese adults (57 male, 63 female) were analyzed. Utilizing three-dimensional reconstructed images, the bone volume and air volume were measured. The predictive performance was assessed using classification accuracy and the area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results Descriptive statistics demonstrated significant sexual dimorphism in both bone volume and air volume across bilateral sides, with males exhibiting significantly larger values than females. In the binary logistic regression analysis, models incorporating specific morphometric parameters provided stable discriminant functions. Conclusions Our findings indicate substantial sexual dimorphism in the temporal bone morphology of modern Japanese individuals. In particular, the logistic regression models combining the inner air cell pneumatization and the outer bone volume—both of which are highly resistant to postmortem changes—offer an objective and reliable method for sex estimation. This approach serves as a practical and useful screening tool in forensic practice and disaster victim identification (DVI) scenarios where the pelvis or other cranial structures are unavailable.
BACKGROUND The taste of sodium is notable among the basic taste modalities because it signals both physiological needs and potential toxicity. Peripheral sodium coding is mediated by distinct epithelial sodium channel (ENaC)-dependent pathways associated with appetitive responses and ENaC-independent pathways associated with aversive behavioral responses. Recent electrophysiological studies indicate that sodium-responsive neuronal populations show partial spatial segregation within the rostral nucleus of the solitary tract (rNST), the first central relay of the gustatory system. HIGHLIGHT Evidence reviewed here suggests that amiloride-sensitive and amiloride-insensitive sodium-responsive neurons exhibit partially distinct spatial distributions within the rNST, potentially preserving biologically meaningful categories of sodium stimuli. Because the rNST is strategically positioned within gustatory, somatosensory, autonomic, and feeding-related networks, this organization may support functions extending beyond sensory representation alone. Accordingly, we hypothesize that putative sodium-responsive maps contribute to early sensorimotor transformations by providing differential access to neural circuits underlying ingestion and avoidance. CONCLUSIONS Spatially organized sodium-responsive pathways in the rNST may represent an organizational framework that links gustatory coding to feeding-related behavioral control. Further electrophysiological, circuit-tracing, and behavioral studies are required to determine whether sodium taste maps function primarily as sensory representations, as components of sensorimotor circuits, or as integrated systems serving both functions.
Background Vitamin D is a pleiotropic secosteroid hormone that regulates numerous biological processes beyond calcium and phosphate homeostasis, including epithelial differentiation, immune function, oxidative stress responses, and tissue repair. These effects are mediated primarily through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which is expressed across multiple cellular compartments of the salivary gland. Although researchers have extensively studied vitamin D in skeletal biology and mineralized oral tissues, its role in salivary gland physiology and pathology has received comparatively little attention. Highlight VDR signaling has been implicated in salivary gland homeostasis through effects on epithelial differentiation, antimicrobial defense, immune regulation, and secretory-cell integrity. Experimental studies further link VDR signaling to redox regulation and ferroptosis, and recent salivary gland-specific evidence indicates that its effects on cell survival and glandular function are context-dependent rather than uniformly protective. The vitamin D-VDR axis also regulates the salivary gland immune microenvironment by modulating antimicrobial peptide production and innate and adaptive immune responses. Current data implicate altered vitamin D signaling in several salivary gland disorders, including Sjögren syndrome, salivary gland tumors, and sialolithiasis, although most evidence comes from experimental studies and observational clinical investigations. In addition, vitamin D-related biomarkers, particularly vitamin D-binding protein, show potential for non-invasive assessment of oral and salivary gland health. Conclusion Collectively, these findings support a broader role for vitamin D signaling in salivary gland biology than previously recognized. Future studies that integrate systemic vitamin D status, local VDR activity, salivary biomarkers, and functional outcomes are needed to clarify the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic relevance of this pathway in salivary gland disease.
OBJECTIVES To produce and phytochemically evaluate hydroalcoholic extracts of green propolis (HEGP) and pomegranate peel (HEPP), and to evaluate their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities, individually and in combination, against Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of these extracts was evaluated using the human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. METHODS The extracts were prepared and characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography. Antimicrobial activity was determined using the broth microdilution method (CLSI - M7-A9), to establish the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The checkerboard technique was used to analyze extract combinations, adopting the Fractional Bactericidal Concentration Index. Synergistic and additive concentrations were further tested on monotypic biofilms using the MTT assay. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Tukey's test. RESULTS Chromatographic analysis revealed a punicalagin peak in HEPP and an artepillin C peak in HEGP. Soluble solids content was 60.2 mg/mL for HEPP and 80.4 mg/mL for HEGP. Both extracts had bactericidal activity, with HEPP MBC values ranging from 1 mg/mL to 15 mg/mL and HEPP MBPC values ranging from 2 mg/mL to 20.1 mg/mL. Combined extracts had additive and synergistic effects, and they had antibiofilm activity comparable to that of chlorhexidine digluconate. There were no cytotoxic effects in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSIONS HEPG and HEPP had antimicrobial and antibiofilm action against P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii, they had good antioxidant action, and they were not cytotoxic to HaCaT cells.
Objectives Bacterial invasion of periodontal tissues is a common oral health concern, highlighting the need for novel antimicrobial agents. In this study, we aimed to nanoencapsulate mānuka oil and its purified β-triketones in chitosan and evaluate the antimicrobial potential of these formulations for oral applications. Methods Chitosan nanoparticles were produced containing mānuka oil and its purified β-triketone components. The ratios of chitosan to sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) of 5:1, 4:1, and 3:1 were investigated at two pH levels for chitosan and TPP. Nanoparticles were investigated for size and uniformity (polydispersity index: PDI). The antimicrobial activity of the produced nanoparticles was evaluated against E. faecalis, S. mutans, P. gingivalis, and S. aureus. The nanoparticles were assessed for yield, encapsulation efficiency (EE), and biocompatibility, and were visualized using light and scanning electron microscopy. Results The optimal conditions for producing nanoparticles were a chitosan: TPP ratio of 5:1, with chitosan adjusted to pH 5.5 and TPP maintained at its unadjusted pH 9. The particle sizes were 327 nm (PDI: 0.654), 336 nm (PDI: 0.471), and 288 nm (PDI: 0.379) for unloaded chitosan, chitosan encapsulating mānuka oil, and purified β-triketone, respectively. Freeze-dried yield was 266-370 mg/ml with a high EE of 89%. The release profile for mānuka oil showed 91% by day 5, while for β-triketone, 93% was released by day 7. Mesenchymal stem cells showed reduced metabolic activity with >6.25 mg/ml of nanoparticles, regardless of payload. Conclusions Mānuka oil and β-triketone nanoparticles were produced with promising attributes as antimicrobials for intraoral application.
