Occurrence of metopic suture in modern and archaeological Croatian population.

AIM: To determine the incidence of metopism in the modern and archaeological Croatian population. METHODS: A total of 800 specimens (454 modern multi-slice computed tomography [MSCT] scans and 346 dry archaeological skulls) were visually examined for metopic suture presence. The metopic suture was deemed complete when aligned nasion to bregma. RESULTS: In the overall sample, the metopic suture was observed in 36 of 800 subjects (4.5%): 19 of 424 (4.5%) men and 17 of 370 (4.6%) women. A significant difference was not observed between modern and archaeological samples (χ2=3.219, P=0.359) or between the sexes (χ2=0.006, P=0.939). The frequency of metopism varied from 3.5% in the modern population to 7.04% in the samples from the Roman period. CONCLUSION: There are no visible secular changes on metopic suture in the Croatian population through time. Some variations can be the result of differences in sample size in different time periods.

Sex estimation using orbital measurements in the Croatian population.

The aim of this study was to test the sexual dimorphism of orbital measurements in the Croatian population using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) images. We have retrospectively taken 414 head CT scans of adults from Croatian clinical hospitals in Split and Zagreb (214 males and 200 females) with slice thickness < 1 mm and no pathological or traumatic changes that could affect the measurements. DICOM files were imported into Stratovan Checkpoint Software and viewed in 2D and 3D using semi-transparent 3D volume rendering. Eight standard measurements were calculated based on twelve orbital landmarks (six paired). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explore sexual and regional differences, and linear discriminant analysis was used to develop sex classification models. The PCA showed separation based on sex and region, and additional analysis demonstrated that females and males in Split and Zagreb differed in four orbital measurements (P ≤ 0.001). Only those measurements that did not show regional differences were further analyzed, and all showed statistically significant sexual dimorphism. The accuracy of univariate functions for sex estimation ranged from 53.43 to 71.88%, and for multivariate function, the accuracy was 73.45%. The orbital measurements of the Croatian population showed restricted forensic significance for sex classification. On the other hand, we have shown that they can have a potential for exploring the inter- and intra-population differences.

ABO and Rh blood groups, demographics, and comorbidities in COVID-19 related deaths: A retrospective study in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia.

BACKGROUND: Blood group phenotypes have been associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. This study aimed to examine ABO/Rh blood group distribution in COVID-19-related deaths considering demographics and pathological conditions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study at the University Hospital Center Split, Croatia, that included 245 COVID-19 positive individuals that died from April 8, 2020, to January 25, 2021. We extracted data on their blood groups, demographics, and pre-existing comorbidities and compared findings with general population data from blood group donations (n = 101,357) and non-COVID-19 deaths from 2019 (n = 4968). RESULTS: The proportion of dead males was significantly higher than in non-COVID-19 cases (63.7% vs. 48.9%, P < 0.001), while the proportion of older individuals did not differ. The prevailing pre-existing diseases were hypertension (59.6%), diabetes (37.1%), heart failure (28.8%), digestive disorder (26.5%), and solid tumor (21.6%). The ABO distribution in the deceased and donors' group showed significant differences, with the higher prevalence of A/AB group and lower prevalence of 0, but with individual differences significant only for AB and non-AB groups. There was a reduced proportion of females within the deceased with group 0 (P = 0.014) and a higher proportion of AB individuals with coronary heart disease (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: The study confirmed a higher risk of death in males. The lower proportion of type 0 in deceased individuals was greater in females, implying that group 0 is not necessarily an independent protective factor. Coronary heart disease was identified as a potential risk factor for AB individuals.

BUILDING THE COVID-19 TESTING CAPACITIES IN CROATIA: ESTABLISHING THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL COVID-19 UNIT AT THE SPLIT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CENTRE.

This paper presents the chronology, experiences, and challenges in introducing COVID-19 RT-PCR testing in Split, Croatia. We describe the processes from March 12, 2020 to May 26, 2020, starting from the initial knowledge transfer, expert team formation and management, testing implementation, and concluding with the standalone testing facilities, which used automated processes sufficient to meet testing requirements at that time. In the case presented, the COVID-19 unit was organized by joining human and laboratory resources from five clinical departments at the Split University Hospital Centre. Sample preparation procedures and analyses were launched within the restricted time frame while simultaneously training and organizing new laboratory staff and completing equipment requirements. As a result, the process that started with 30 tests per day was constantly improved over time and reached up to 160 tests per day when MagNA Pure was added to automatize RNA extraction at the end of April. At that pace, the cumulative number of samples soon exceeded the first thousand, and by the end of May it exceeded 4000. The case presented provides an example of good practice for crisis response and organization that successfully enabled sufficient COVID-19 testing capacities within the restricted time frame, human and technical resources. Despite limited understanding of COVID-19 at that time, appropriate management, transfer of knowledge, previous experiences in related laboratory and diagnostic work, as well as interdisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation proved appropriate to overcome the above limitations and ensure adequate healthcare response.

Attitudes and Knowledge About Plagiarism Among University Students: Cross-Sectional Survey at the University of Split, Croatia.

Plagiarism is one of the most severe academic integrity issues. This study examined students' knowledge of and attitudes towards plagiarism, tested their ability to recognize plagiarism, and explored the association of study levels and attendance in courses dealing with referencing rules and plagiarism with students' attitudes and knowledge. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted at the University of Split, comprising the students of all schools and study levels (n = 388). Overall, results indicate the students were not very familiar with referencing rules and did not perform well on either theoretical questions or practical examples. However, they demonstrated positive attitudes towards plagiarism avoidance as well as towards compliance with academic integrity with respect to the correct use of research publications. Students' self-reported attendance in courses dealing with referencing rules and plagiarism avoidance was not associated with their knowledge of and attitudes toward plagiarism. These findings are important for a general understanding of students' attitudes, and the relation of practical and theoretical knowledge of plagiarism. Furthermore, the academic community addresses plagiarism not only as an ethical and regulatory violation but also as a direct consequence of a lack of knowledge, and of academic illiteracy. Study programs should be adjusted and long-term policies developed at all academic levels to promote a positive climate among students towards responsible academic writing.

Sex estimation standards for medieval and contemporary Croats.

AIM: To develop discriminant functions for sex estimation on medieval Croatian population and test their application on contemporary Croatian population. METHODS: From a total of 519 skeletons, we chose 84 adult excellently preserved skeletons free of antemortem or postmortem changes and took all standard measurements. Sex was estimated/determined using standard anthropological procedures and ancient DNA (amelogenin analysis) where pelvis was insufficiently preserved or where sex morphological indicators were not consistent. We explored which measurements showed sexual dimorphism and used them for developing univariate and multivariate discriminant functions for sex estimation. We included only those functions that reached accuracy rate ≥80%. We tested the applicability of developed functions on modern Croatian sample (n=37). RESULTS: From 69 standard skeletal measurements used in this study, 56 of them showed statistically significant sexual dimorphism (74.7%). We developed five univariate discriminant functions with classification rate 80.6%-85.2% and seven multivariate discriminant functions with an accuracy rate of 81.8%-93.0%. When tested on the modern population functions showed classification rates 74.1%-100%, and ten of them reached aimed accuracy rate. Females showed higher classified in the mediaeval populations, whereas males were better classification rates in the modern populations. CONCLUSION: Developed discriminant functions are sufficiently accurate for reliable sex estimation in both medieval Croatian population and modern Croatian samples and may be used in forensic settings. The methodological issues that emerged regarding the importance of considering external factors in development and application of discriminant functions for sex estimation should be further explored.

Cultural inter-population differences do not reflect biological distances: an example of interdisciplinary analysis of populations from Eastern Adriatic coast.

AIM: To compare the population group from the Sopot graveyard with population groups from traditional Croatian medieval graveyards by using anthropological, craniometrics, and mitochondrial (mtDNA) analysis and to examine if the cultural differences between population groups reflect biological differences. METHODS: We determined sex, age at death, pathological, and traumatic changes of skeletal remains from the Sopot graveyard and compared them with a cumulative medieval sample from the same region. We also performed principal component analysis to compare skeletal remains from Sopot with those from Ostrovica and other Central European samples according to 8 cranial measurements. Finally, we compared 46 skeletons from Sopot with medieval (Ostrovica) and contemporary populations using mDNA haplogroup profiling. RESULTS: The remains from Sopot were similar to the cumulative sample in lifestyle and quality of life markers. Principal component analysis showed that they were closely related to Eastern Adriatic coast sites (including Ostrovica and Sopot) in terms of cranial morphology, indicating similar biological makeup. According to mDNA testing, Sopot population showed no significant differences in the haplogroup prevalence from either medieval or contemporary populations. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the Sopot population does not significantly differ from other medieval populations from this area. Besides similar quality of life markers, these populations also had similar biological markers. Substantial archeological differences can therefore be attributed to apparent cultural influences, which in this case do not reflect biological differences.

Serum Catestatin Level as a Stratification Assessment Tool in Non-Critical COVID-19 Patients.

Introduction: Catestatin (CST) is a peptide with immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial activities. There are only a few studies that have investigated plasma CST levels in COVID-19 patients (mostly in ICU patients). In our work, the aim was to demonstrate serum CST levels and their correlation with clinical outcomes in a group of severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the non-ICU department. Methods: The subjects were 32 patients (25 females, 7 males) admitted to the non-ICU unit for COVID-19 patients. Results: CST levels in our cohort were higher (8.91 ± 7.00) than previously reported CST levels in control subjects. We found a significant positive correlation between serum CST levels and C-reactive protein (r = 0.423, p = 0.008), D-dimers (r = 0.395, p = 0.013), hsTNT (high-sensitivity troponin T) (r = 0.603, p < 0.001), proBNP (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) (r = 0.569, p < 0.001), and hospitalization days (r = 0.388, p = 0.014). There was a difference between groups of participants with SOFA <3 (n = 18) and SOFA >=3 (n = 14) in catestatin serum levels (7.25 ± 3.66 vs. 11.05 ± 9.52 ng/mL), but the difference was statistically insignificant (p = 0.065). Conclusion: We considered plasma CST level at hospital admission as a possible tool for early risk assessment in non-critical COVID-19 patients. This study is an attempt to clarify the complex pathophysiological mechanisms present in the development of severe forms of SARS-CoV2 infection.

Clinical and demographic features with outcome predictors of adult patients with acute intoxication admitted to a medical intensive care unit in the Mediterranean part of Croatia.

Background: The objective of the study was to assess the demographics, clinical parameters, and outcome of acute intoxications among adult patients admitted to a medical intensive care unit in southern Croatia. Materials and Methods: An observational retrospective study was conducted over a 1-year period. The subjects were patients admitted to the intensive care unit for acute poisoning. Results: In all, 81 subjects (32.1% females) aged 43.16 ± 14.77 years were admitted to the intensive care unit because of poisoning (14.97% of the total annual intensive care unit admissions). Psychiatric disorders were previously established in 76.5% participants, and 69.1% of all acute intoxications were classified as suicidal. Non-suicidal subjects differed from suicidal subjects in age (37.36 ± 9.71 vs. 45.75 ± 15.93 years; P = 0.009), in pCO2 (6.38 ± 1.78 vs. 5.50 ± 1.26 kPa; P = 0.020), in length-of-stay in intensive care unit (median 1.00, interquartile range 1.00 vs. median 2.00, interquartile range 2.00 days; P = 0.022), and in length-of-stay in hospital (median 2.00, interquartile range 2.00 vs. median 10.50, interquartile range 15.25 days; P < 0.001). Three (3.7%) patients died. Pharmaceutical psychoactive drug intoxications were the most common poisoning cases; of these, diazepam was the most frequent (16.8%), followed by ethanol (9.0%) and alprazolam (7.8%). Benzodiazepines/hypnotics were the most common group (28.7%), followed by antipsychotics (13.2%). Intoxications with more than 1 poison accounted for the largest number of cases (67.9%). The number of toxins was significantly correlated with length-of-stay in the hospital (rho = -0.265; P = 0.008), systolic blood pressure (rho = -0.318; P = 0.002), and diastolic blood pressure (rho = -0.262; P = 0.009). The electrocardiogram was considered abnormal in 50.62% of the cases. Conclusion: Acute intoxicants were most commonly caused by psychiatric pharmaceutical drugs. Multidrug exposure was a typical pattern of acute intoxication.

Young Women's Attitudes and Behaviors in Treatment and Prevention of UTIs: Are Biomedical Students at an Advantage?

We wanted to investigate whether students who study within biomedical fields (i.e., medicine, pharmacy science) differ from those whose studies are not connected to the biomedical field in terms of their attitudes and behaviors related to urinary tract infections (UTIs). This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among 392 female students, of whom 243 attended a biomedical school and 149 (38.0%) attended a non-biomedical school, using a previously published tool. The survey was distributed as an online link via student representatives at different faculties. Only 22 (5.6%) of women felt that they could not recognize a UTI. A greater proportion of biomedical students wiped front to back, while significantly more non-biomedical students chose cotton underwear and avoided daily sanitary pads compared to biomedical students. As many as 215 (54.8%) women stated that they used cranberry preparations. Biomedical students showed greater awareness about possible resistance to repeated treatment (p = 0.002) and greater knowledge of possible interactions of antibiotics (p < 0.001). This study reveals that young women are confident in recognizing an UTIs, are open to alternative treatments, and would consider UTI management in a pharmacy setting. However, it reveals that there might be gaps in their knowledge regarding antibiotic resistance risks, possible interactions, and efficacy of available preparations, as participants from the group of biomedical students showed greater knowledge and different behaviors.

Efficiency of the Adjusted Binary Classification (ABC) Approach in Osteometric Sex Estimation: A Comparative Study of Different Linear Machine Learning Algorithms and Training Sample Sizes.

The adjusted binary classification (ABC) approach was proposed to assure that the binary classification model reaches a particular accuracy level. The present study evaluated the ABC for osteometric sex classification using multiple machine learning (ML) techniques: linear discriminant analysis (LDA), boosted generalized linear model (GLMB), support vector machine (SVM), and logistic regression (LR). We used 13 femoral measurements of 300 individuals from a modern Turkish population sample and split data into two sets: training (n = 240) and testing (n = 60). Then, the five best-performing measurements were selected for training univariate models, while pools of these variables were used for the multivariable models. ML classifier type did not affect the performance of unadjusted models. The accuracy of univariate models was 82−87%, while that of multivariate models was 89−90%. After applying ABC to the crossvalidation set, the accuracy and the positive and negative predictive values for uni- and multivariate models were ≥95%. Sex could be estimated for 28−75% of individuals using univariate models but with an obvious sexing bias, likely caused by different degrees of sexual dimorphism and between-group overlap. However, using multivariate models, we minimized the bias and properly classified 81−87% of individuals. A similar performance was also noted in the testing sample (except for FEB), with accuracies of 96−100%, and a proportion of classified individuals between 30% and 82% in univariate models, and between 90% and 91% in multivariate models. When considering different training sample sizes, we demonstrated that LR was the most sensitive with limited sample sizes (n < 150), while GLMB was the most stable classifier.

Registered Drug Packs of Antimicrobials and Treatment Guidelines for Prostatitis: Are They in Accordance?

The aim of this study was to analyze if registered drug packs of antibiotics are in accordance with national guidelines for prostatitis treatment regard to the amount of drug units.; Methods: Croatian, UK (NICE), Australian, Spanish and Slovenian national guidelines were analyzed in this study. Results: Comparing treatment guidelines with registered drug packs resulted in perfect accordance only for drug packs registered in the UK with the NICE guidelines, where even split-pack dispensing is possible. Interestingly, when comparing drug packs registered in the UK with treatment proposed in the national guidelines of Croatia, Italy, Spain, Australia, USA and Slovenia, they matched almost perfectly. In other investigated countries, registered drug packs' national guidelines' analysis showed mismatch in 25-100% of recommendations (Italy and Slovenia, respectively). Conclusions: Mismatch between registered drug packs that are dispensed to patients and treatment guidelines may result in excess units of antimicrobials that may be misused by the patient in the future, or excess antimicrobials may become unnecessary waste, further promoting antimicrobial resistance. Greater accordance of registered drug packs of antimicrobials with treatment guidelines may lower rates of antimicrobials misuse.

Diplopia, COVID-19 and Vaccination: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in Croatia.

The aim of this study was to explore diplopia as a symptom of undetected COVID-19 infection or as a possible side effect of COVID-19 vaccination. We examined 380 patients with diplopia admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital Centre Sestre milosrdnice in Zagreb, Croatia, from July 2020 to June 2022. After excluding patients with confirmed organic underlying diplopia causes or monocular diplopia, we linked the patient information with the national COVID-19 and vaccination registries. Among the 91 patients included in this study, previously undetected COVID-19 infection as the possible cause of diplopia was confirmed in five of them (5.5%). An additional nine patients (9.9%) were vaccinated within one month from the onset of their symptoms, while the remaining 77 had neither and were therefore considered as controls. The breakdown according to the mechanism of diplopia showed no substantial difference between the vaccinated patients and the controls. We detected marginally insignificant excess abducens nerve affection in the COVID-positive group compared with that in the controls (p = 0.051). Post-vaccination diplopia was equally common in patients who received vector-based or RNA-based vaccines (21.4 vs. 16.7%; p = 0.694). COVID-19 testing should be performed for all cases of otherwise unexplained diplopia. The risk of post-vaccination diplopia was similar in both types of vaccines administered, suggesting a lack of evidence linking specific vaccine types to diplopia.

The repeatability of standard cranial measurements on dry bones and MSCT images.

This study examined if the cranial measurements from Data Collection Procedures for Forensic Skeletal Material 2.0 are repeatable when measured in dry bones and MSCT images and if the virtual measurements correspond to the physical ones. The sample included 33 dry crania imaged by MSCT. Two observers measured dry bones, two placed landmarks on 2D and 3D MSCT reconstructions, and one conducted measurements/landmarking on both media. One of the observers for each media repeated the measurements. Technical and relative technical error of measurement (TEM and rTEM) and percentage differences were calculated to examine the repeatability of measurements and compare measuring modalities. Intraobserver rTEM was above 1.5% for six bone measurements: FOB, ZOB, OBB, NLH, DKB, MDH (1.51%-4.87%) and for seven MSCT measurements: OBH, FOB, OBB, MDH, NLB, ZOB, DKB (1.57%-5.55%). The interobserver rTEM was above the acceptable level (>2%) for 11 measurements: PAC, NLH, OBB, EKB, MAL, FOB, NLB, OBH, ZOB, DKB, and MDH (2.01%-9.34%). The percentage differences were not systematically larger for measurements taken by the same user on both modalities than those obtained by different users on the same modality. When physical and MSCT measurements were tested on sex classification standards, the proportion of crania classified as male or female did not significantly differ (p > 0.05). The study showed that physical and virtual cranial measurements could be interchangeable for developing or applying sex estimation standards. However, clarifications and adaptations are necessary for measurements of mastoid, nasal, and orbital regions that did not meet the standard criteria.

Adjusted binary classification (ABC) model in forensic science: An example on sex classification from handprint dimensions.

Binary classification techniques are commonly used in forensic examination to test if a specimen belongs to a particular group and base the expert opinion on the questioned evidence. However, most of the currently used methods do not achieve sufficient accuracy due to the ignoring of the specimens classified in the overlapping area. To address the issue, we proposed a novel Adjusted binary classification (ABC) algorithm that automatically adjusts posterior probabilities to reach classification accuracy and positive/negative predicted values (PPV, NPV) of 95 %. In the presented example, we used three handprint measurements from 160 participants (80 males and 80 females) to develop models that would classify sex from their dimensions. The sample was split into the training/cross-validated (70 %) and testing sample (30 %). We developed four classification models using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) by employing traditional single cut-off values and ABC approach that for each group provides a specific posterior probability cut-off threshold. In the cross-validated sample, the accuracy of traditional models was 78.7-92.5 %, while PPVs/NPVs ranged between 78.2 and 93 %. ABC models provided 95 % accuracy, PPV, and NPV, and could classify 35.5-88.1 % of specimens. In the testing sample, ABC models achieved accuracy of 97.3-100 %, PPV/NPV 95.4-100 %, and could be applied to 29.1-87.5 % of specimens. The study demonstrated that the ABC approach could adjust classification models to reach predefined values of accuracy, PPV, and NPV. Therefore, it could be an efficient tool for conducting a binary classification in forensic settings and minimizing the possibilities of incorrect classifications.

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Seroprevalence in Industry Workers in Split-Dalmatia and Sibenik-Knin County, Croatia.

OBJECTIVES: To examine seroprevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies in industry workers population sample. METHODS: From 23 to April 28, 2020, we conducted serological testing for antibodies (Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM)) on 1494 factory employees living in the Split-Dalmatia and Sibenik-Knin County (Croatia). RESULTS: We detected antibodies in 1.27% of participants (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-1.98%). In Split facility 13/1316 (0.99%, 95% CI 0.53-1.68%) of participants were tested positive, of which 13/1079 (1.20%, 95% CI 0.64-2.05%) of those living outside the facility and 0/237 (0%, 95% CI 0-1.26%) of those living inside the facility. In Knin facility, 6/178 (3.37%, 95% CI 1.25-7.19%) participants were tested positive for antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed relatively small SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in the DIV Group population sample.

Adjusting posterior probabilities to meet predefined accuracy criteria: A proposal for a novel approach to osteometric sex estimation.

The osteometric methods are the most reliable way to estimate the sex of skeletons when DNA analysis is not used. However, as osteometric studies usually ignore the overlap in male and female skeletal dimensions, they rarely achieve accuracy sufficient for forensic application. To resolve this issue, recent studies suggest sex estimation only when posterior probability (pp) is greater than 0.95, but that approach does not always provide sufficient accuracy and creates a large proportion of unsexed skeleton. Thus, our study aimed to explore whether it is possible to adjust pp on skeletal measurements with pronounced sexual dimorphism to meet 95% accuracy and to enable sex estimation on a reasonable proportion of individuals. From 207 skeletons, we included 65 postcranial measurements and selected 10% of variables with the highest sexual dimorphism. We computed univariate and bivariate discriminant functions using pp threshold of 0.5, 0.95, and the threshold required to achieve accuracy of ≥ 95%. Discriminant functions with pp=0.5 obtained accuracy of 85%-93%, while those with pp≥0.95 and adjusted posterior probabilities obtained 94%-99%. However, we showed that by selecting a particular threshold, sex could be estimated on a greater proportion of individuals than for pp≥0.95: 42%-86% vs. 24%-62% for univariate and 69%-95% vs. 49%-78% for bivariate functions. Therefore, when developing sex estimation models, we suggest not to use fixed pp level, but to adjust pp to achieve 95% accuracy and to minimize the percentage of unsexed skeletons.

Rich but poor: life in the Roman period with extreme rheumatoid arthritis.

In a Sidonian sarcophagus, from the Late Antique/early Christian period, skeletal remains of two persons were found. One of them, male, 30-50 years old, was found almost completely ankylosed, with highly osteoporotic bones and prominent erosion of joint surfaces. We diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis based on the eroded odontoid process, mandibular condyles, distal humerus, proximal and distal ulna, as well ankylosed hand and foot bones. Despite the fact that ankyloses of vertebrae and sacroiliac joint could point towards ankylosing spondylitis, the lack of typical vertebral ankyloses and new bone formation led to exclusion. In a practical sense, due to the advanced stage of the disease, the man was fixed in the supine position, on the left, with his head turned to the right. Apparently, he could not move and had problems with chewing and breathing. But, the high standard of provided healthcare probably enabled him to survive in advanced stages of the disease. This case shed light on the antiquity of the disease, its medical, and social context and provided the example of most extreme osteological changes reported in the paleopathological and medical literature.

From Biography to Osteobiography: An Example of Anthropological Historical Identification of the Remains of St. Paul.

In the identification process of historical figures, and especially in cases of Saint's bodies or mummified remains, any method that includes physical encroachment or sampling is often not allowed. In these cases, one of the few remaining possibilities is the application of nondestructive radiographical and anthropological methods. However, although there have been a few attempts of such analyses, no systematic standard methodology has been developed until now. In this study, we developed a methodological approach that was used to test the authenticity of the alleged body of Saint Paul the Confessor. Upon imaging the remains on MSCT and post-processing, the images were analyzed by an interdisciplinary team to explore the contents beneath the binding media (e.g., the remains) and to obtain osetobiographical data for comparison with historical biological data. Obtained results: ancestry, sex, age, occupation, and social status were consistent with historical data. Although the methodological approach proved to be appropriate in this case, due to the discrepancy in the amount of data, identity could not be fully confirmed. Nonetheless, the hypothesis that the remains do not belong to St. Paul was rejected, whilst positive identification receives support. Anat Rec, 300:1535-1546, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.