Aesthetic Goals Research Articles

Development and Initial Validation of a Novel Professional Aesthetic Scale for the Female Abdomen.

A growing body of literature describes abdominal aesthetic goals to tailor surgical and nonsurgical treatment options to meet patient goals. The authors aimed to integrate layperson perceptions into the design of a novel professional aesthetic scale for the abdomen. An iterative process of expert consensus was used to choose five domains: abdominal muscle lines, abdominal shape, scar, skin, and umbilicus. A survey was developed to measure global and domain-specific aesthetic preferences on five abdomens. This was distributed through Amazon Mechanical Turk to 340 respondents. Principal component analysis was used to integrate survey data into weights for each of the scale's subquestions. Attending plastic surgeons then rated abdomens using the final scale, and reliability and validity were calculated. The final scale included 11 subquestions-hourglass shape, bulges, hernia, infraumbilical skin, supraumbilical skin, umbilicus shape, umbilicus medialization position, umbilicus height position, semilunar lines, central midline depression, and scar-within the five domains. Central midline depression held the highest weight (16.1 percent) when correlated with global aesthetic rating, followed by semilunar lines (15.8 percent) and infraumbilical skin (11.8 percent). The final scale demonstrated strong validity (Pearson r = 0.99) and was rated as easy to use by seven attending plastic surgeons. The final scale is the first published professional aesthetic scale for the abdomen that aims to integrate layperson opinion. This analysis and survey data provide insights into the importance of 11 components in overall aesthetic appeal of the abdomen.

Absorption and embedding: on the application of the ballet training paradigm in Chinese ethnic dance curriculum

ABSTRACT This article discusses the necessity and possibilities of introducing ballet training into the process of teaching Chinese ethnic dance from theoretical and practical perspectives involving pedagogical analysis. We propose that there is a homologous and complementary relationship between ballet and Chinese ethnic dance in philosophy, aesthetic and technical goals, and desired outcomes. At the practical level, ballet, as a relatively mature, complete, and systematic dance training paradigm, plays and can further play a positive role in the traditional paradigm for teaching Chinese ethnic dance. The paper proposes several possible ways of the ‘absorption’ and ‘embedding’ of ballet training into the basic training of Chinese ethnic dance, which includes strengthening basic training in an appropriate manner. These combinations enhance dancers’ physical coordination ability and technical skills, and they instill artistic values.

Zhen 眞 as the Ideal of Landscape Painting in Bifaji 筆法記

Abstract Bifaji 筆法記 by Jing Hao 荊浩 (ca. 855–915) is one of the most critical writings on painting in the Chinese art tradition. It reflects the shifting artistic trends of the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods from portraits to landscapes and from color to ink and wash. The emphasis on zhen (眞, “genuineness”) as an aesthetic goal in Bifaji is an essential feature in its discourse on the nature of painting. This essay explores the concept of zhen as an ideal state of pictorial reality in Bifaji. Illuminating the meaning of zhen is vital to understanding Jing Hao's and his contemporaries' artistic aspirations. Considering its aesthetic connotations reveals zhen in Bifaji to be multivalent, involving a number of qualities required for the creation of a landscape painting, from the observation of nature to the method of brush technique. To elucidate the aesthetic ideals of Bifaji, this paper examines the relationship between the concept of zhen and other key terms such as qiyun (氣韻, “character”), qishi (氣勢, “dynamic configuration”), and xiang (象, “image”) along with the additional conceptual layer of qi applied in the Six Essentials (Liuyao 六要) and the Four Forces (Sishi 四勢).

Female cosmetic genital surgery: Complications

ABSTRACT Introduction Female cosmetic genital surgery is rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance as both the aesthetic and functional benefits of these procedures are becoming more and more appreciated and reachable. World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as „a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely absence of disease or infirmity”. Plastic surgeons and doctors of aesthetic medicine noticed that self-perception of the body image, beauty and physique strongly influences a woman's mental and social well-being. Cosmetic surgery is considered ethical and beneficial when intervention is able to improve the quality of life (QoL) and well-being of the patient. In recent years, however, a new aesthetic medicine concept has been developed into gynecological practice: correction and/or modifying the genital anatomy in the absence of a specific organic problem or disease with the objective of improving a woman's health perception. Objective Female cosmetic genital surgery refers to non-medically indicated cosmetic surgical procedures which change the structure and appearance of the healthy female genitalia. There are a number of procedures including: labiaplasty, vaginoplasty, perineoplasty, clitoral hood reduction, hymenoplasty and G-spot bulking. Complications of cosmetic female cosmetic surgeries are low, estimated between 2-4% and they vary depending on the procedure. Methods This systematic review will provide an assessment of complications associated with female cosmetic genital surgeries. The following databases has been searched from the study inception to July 2021: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library), PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web Of Science, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, UpToDate, Polish Medical Bibliography and consultations of Polish specialists and discussion forums of patients have been used. Results Woman's search for a „perfect” vagina and vulva is very often stimulated via the Internet promotional articles and advertisements offering and promising extraordinary cosmetic and functional improvements that are supposed to be achieved due to female cosmetic surgery. Many of these procedures, while elective, are not limited to aesthetic goal alone, e.g. the majority of women seeking labiaplasty also have a concomitant functional issue, whether it is discomfort from clothing or dyspareunia. Women should be carefully advised and screened pre-operatively for underlying psychological problems and sexual dysfunction. Female cosmetic genital surgeries should ideally be provided by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including: surgeons, psychologists, psychosexual therapists, physiotherapists, with relevant training, demonstrated competence and with the required clinical governance arrangements in place. Conclusions Female cosmetic genital surgery is a rapidly expanding and poorly regulated field of cosmetic surgery. Despite the controversies, the relevant professional bodies should attempt to regulate training and standardize terminology. Well-designed prospective studies with long-term follow-up are needed. Patients should be carefully counselled and selected pre-operatively ideally by a multidisciplinary team. The request for female cosmetic genital surgery may be reasonable and whilst we respect an individual's right to choose, there needs to be increased regulation in this controversial area of medicine. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

Camouflage orthodontic treatment combined with genioplasty distraction osteogenesis for skeletal class II relationship secondary to osteosarcoma excision surgery

The treatment of orthodontic patients who survive head and neck tumors is challenging because of dentoskeletal deformities and other unexpected dental and facial complications. This case report describes the case of a 26-year-old woman who presented with mandibular retrognathia after survival from osteosarcoma. Camouflage orthodontic treatment was chosen instead of combined orthodontic-orthognathic surgery after primary reconstructive surgery with an iliac bone graft. Genioplasty distraction osteogenesis (DO) was performed to achieve an optimal facial profile. Although unexpected condyle dislocation and epithelial hyperplasia occurred during treatment, a favorable facial profile and optimal skeletal and dental relationships were accomplished after 32 months of treatment. The patient underwent genioplasty DO and experienced unexpected left condyle dislocation. However, the treatment achieved esthetic goals after intermaxillary elastics were applied.

Aesthetic Science of Rhinoplasty: Three Principles

Aesthetic science is a rapidly growing discipline that involves plastic surgery as much or more than other disciplines of science. Fortunately, how and why the human brain responds to the visual world is better understood now than ever before. Of necessity plastic surgery is a part of that aesthetic science movement because it deals directly with the application of aesthetic principles. Therefore, it behooves the surgeon to be familiar with the principles of aesthetic science so as to both delineate and attain the aesthetic goal at the same time any functional goal is part of the operation. There are three important principles for rhinoplasty: (1) symmetry, (2) continuity and (3) persistence. This study provides examples of how they apply in the preop, intraop and postop phase of performing aesthetic rhinoplasty. A firm understanding of these principles can then guide the surgeon through the difficult maze of decision making, operative planning and surgical execution that arguably makes aesthetic rhinoplasty the most difficult aesthetic operation in plastic surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Hollywood Harmony: Musical Wonder and the Sound of Cinema

Hollywood Harmony: Musical Wonder and the Sound of Cinema

Composite Dorsal Augmentation.

Dorsal augmentation is one of the most challenging procedures in rhinoplasty. Solid grafts and diced fascia graft (DC-F) have been employed for this purpose with varying success. Warping, irregularities, and variability of final height are some of the potential pitfalls. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of the authors' approach combining multiple grafts for nasal dorsal augmentation. They described a technique employing composite dorsal augmentation that is a combination of a foundation layer utilizing high spreader grafts plus a dorsal gap graft combined with a contour layer of 3 possible types of fascia or DC-F grafts. The combination of the 2 layers for the nasal dorsum can be varied to achieve the required height to correct the patient's deformity and achieve the desired aesthetic goals. Fifty-one patients who underwent dorsal augmentation with composite technique between 2017 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. A step-by-step algorithm was applied to achieve the required dorsal height. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the type of contour graft: double-layer fascia graft, segmental DC-F, or narrow thin full-length DC-F. Smooth continuity and increased projection of the nasal dorsum were achieved in all patients. Composite dorsal augmentation is an effective technique for dorsal augmentations requiring 4 mm or more of height increase. This technique allows to achieve dorsal augmentation employing a combination of grafts from a single donor site together with camouflaging dorsal irregularities and highlighting dorsal aesthetic lines. This algorithm allows optimization of patients' aesthetic profile.

Analysis of gingival recession risk factors

Relevance. In most cases, modern dentistry can successfully treat gingival recessions, thus achieving both aesthetic and functional goals. Conservative, surgical, orthodontic, instrumental, injection procedures and methods, which help adequately manage the position of the gingival margin according to the cementum-enamel junction and keep the smile beautiful and healthy, primarily preserve teeth. Meanwhile, timely identification of risk factors associated with gingival recession is no less of a priority in the individualized preventive approach to supporting patients at the dentist appointment.Materials and methods. The research was conducted at the Department of Operative Dentistry and Introduction to Dental Diseases of the Ural State Medical University and the Department of Control Systems Modeling of the Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg. The study examined 60 young adults: 20 men (33.3%) and 40 women (66.7%) who presented to the dentist. The patients were allocated into two groups according to their age. Each group consisted of 30 patients: the first group contained 20 to 24-year -olds and the second group comprised 35 to 44-year -old patients.Results. The analysis of gingival recession risk factors revealed aggressive tooth brushing in 19% subjects of the first group (р ≥ 0.05), poor oral hygiene in 17% cases (vs 19% in the second group (р ≥ 0,05); overhanging restorations – 12% cases (р ≥ 0.05); thin gingival biotype –14% (р ≥ 0,05).Conclusion. Effective customized control of gingival recession risk factors primarily allows normalizing oral hygiene, timely arresting inflammation in the marginal and papillary gingiva, eliminating trauma from tooth brushing and interdental cleaning devices, as well it provides an interdisciplinary approach to patient management at the dental appointment.

A review on open bite

Normal occlusion is analyzed in three dimensions- sagittal, vertical and transverse, and any deviation in these three parameters are further attributed to skeletal, dental, habitual or a combination of the three factors. Open bite characterized by insufficient or absence of contact between anterior and/or posterior teeth have been found to be one of the most complex vertical malocclusion to treat with high tendency for relapse in both surgical and non surgical intervention. The aim of the article is to arrive at a precise diagnosis and classify with early intervention using the most appropriate treatment and retention modalities to achieve long term functional and esthetic goals.

Designing and validating the four elements of the curriculum model based on aesthetics and art components in the second secondary school

Background and Aim: One of the functions of the educational institution is to strive for the growth and flourishing of students' artistic and aesthetic abilities and talents. The purpose of this research is to design and validate the elements of the curriculum model based on aesthetics and art components. Methods: The research method is qualitative-quantitative, the statistical population in the qualitative section includes experts and specialists in the field of curriculum based on aesthetics and art and related written documents. With the subject including scientific articles and researches, authored related books and the document of the fundamental transformation of education and in the quantitative section, curriculum planning experts, textbook authors, specialists and planners of the Ministry of Education and art specialists in the summer of 2022 were unlimited in number, in the qualitative section was determined by snowball sampling method for experts and targeted sampling for documents, 15 experts and 35 documents (texts) appropriate to the objectives and questions of the research, and in the quantitative part, to measure the model, a researcher made a questionnaire of 96 balls with sampling method. The available floors were distributed among 250 samples. To determine the validity and reliability in the qualitative stage, the necessary checks including acceptability (expert review) and confirmability (expert review) were used. Results: In the quantitative stage, the validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by three methods: form, content and structure. Reliability was also estimated and confirmed by three methods of determining factor loadings of items, Cronbach's alpha of components (between 0.718 and 0.931) and combined reliability (between 0.774 and 0.951). Qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis technique with open, central and selective coding in One Note software and quantitative data were analyzed with structural equation modeling technique and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Friedman and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS and Smart PLS software. The results of the qualitative part indicated that in the "goal" element, 162 final codes in the form of 5 subcategories: acquisition goals, cognitive and metacognitive goals, learner-based goals, aesthetic goals, and moral goals, in 2 categories: skill and individual, in "Content" element, 141 final codes in the form of 8 subcategories: learning environment, learner-based content, community and culture-based content, art and aesthetics-based content, literary form, performance form, visual form, and drawing/visual form. They were placed in 3 categories: artistic-cultural, environmental and content form. In the "teaching methods" element, 129 final codes in the form of 7 subcategories: aesthetic-oriented, nature-oriented, media-oriented, project-oriented and workshop-oriented, teacher's ability in teaching, creativity-oriented, and team-oriented and participation-oriented, in 3 categories: artistic, technical - humane and innovative and in the "evaluation" element, 53 final codes in the form of 4 subcategories: qualitative evaluation, results-based evaluation, aesthetic evaluation and ethical evaluation, were placed in 2 categories: scientific and artistic-ethical. Conclusion: The results of the quantitative part showed that all dimensions and components of the research model were confirmed.

Bernardo Soares: The Never Accomplished Travel(s) – Writing and Seeing

The Art that emerged in the early years of the Portuguese 20th century, similarly to what occurred in Europe, was invested with expectations and strong beliefs. Nonetheless works and ideas were only accessible to few that were near to the new approaches and paradigms. The unspeakable and the unexpected came up from the intellectual and sensitive verve of bold poets or artists, experimenting daring structures and actions. That was the case of Fernando Pessoa literary production, enriched by his heteronymous’ magnum opus. Let’s take a walk into slow unquietness, in order to recognize singular aesthetic goals shared by writers and philosophers that might be [intrinsically] connected with the Portuguese Poet, hereby presented through this semi-heteronymous Bernardo Soares. The conceptual scenery demands upon strong reminiscences projecting melancholic, nostalgic feelings and undoubtedly expectations at a time. Walking does not imply travelling or great displacements, it doesn’t imply any journey at all, shaped such as a Bernardo Soares’ A Voyage I never made understood as a Never Accomplished Travel.

التنوع التقني في تصميم الاعلان التجاري

The technical diversity in commercial advertising is one of the important necessities for a set of steps, which led us to the process of producing the advertising idea in an applied manner, as it leads to a mixture between two parts, the schematic aspect of the idea and the practical aspect, conditional on achieving the functional and aesthetic goal in creating a good commercial advertisement design, there is a purpose behind it. It lies in communication, conveying the idea and leaving the appropriate impression, and if the commercial advertisement achieves this goal, it will achieve its purpose of communication, so the designer goes to technical diversity through a set of techniques, being essential in communication and carrying the utmost clarity in advertising design, rather it is to find harmony and balance between the visual elements, so the designer goes to the formation of an aesthetic structure whose elements are cohesive in a textile unit that is inseparable from its visual connotations to deliver a message with a variety of techniques, so it must be eye-catching and easy to understand as much as possible, the relationship between technical diversity and commercial advertising design Rather, it comes in order to reach design goals in the extent of achieving the advertising message.

Protecting nipple-areolar complex perfusion by devascularization and surgical delay

: The greatest challenge to nipple areolar complex (NAC) preservation during mastectomy has been ischemic complications which can range from epidermolysis to complete necrosis. Women with macromastia, ptosis, or smokers are at greater risk for these complications. Additional risk factors associated with ischemia that have been described include mastectomy incision placement, reconstruction type, and other known medical comorbidities. In this manuscript techniques for evaluation of skin perfusion patterns with angiography to aid in optimal incision placements and surgical delay are described. Devascularization of the NAC prior to a nipple sparing mastectomy is a surgical delay technique aimed at preventing irreversible skin ischemia. Devascularization consists of separating the NAC and surrounding skin from the underlying breast tissue. Similar to other surgical delay procedures utilized in other plastic reconstructive procedures, blood inflow through the skin is enhanced as a compensatory mechanism after the first stage devascularization. The first stage NAC devascularization can be performed with a lumpectomy procedure in patients with a newly diagnosed cancer and the second stage completion mastectomy is performed after 3 to 6 weeks later after temporary ischemic changes have resolved. The timing for completion mastectomy can also be adjusted for a later time point if more urgent systemic or locoregional treatment is needed. The utilization of a staged devascularization and delayed nipple sparing mastectomy allows more patients to achieve the desired aesthetic goals of nipple areolar preservation while minimizing ischemic complications, and most importantly does not compromise oncologic safety of the breast cancer patient.

In the groove and in the moment: epistemology and ethics in ethnography with Sudanese musician revolutionaries

This study discusses the methodological component of a research project with Sudanese musicians and their associated activist groups. The methodology included song-writing and, as such, is an example of collaborative creative research practice. Proponents of collaborative creative practice argue that the combination of aesthetic methods with ethnographic and participatory research methods brings both epistemological and ethical dividends. This paper considers whether these alleged epistemological and ethical advantages bore out in this research project. While confirming some benefits, my study also shows evidence of underlying tensions between aesthetic ‘micro-methods’ and ethnographic and participatory traditions of knowledge production. In relation to the alleged epistemological dividends, I argue that autoethnographic embedding in collaborative creative practice is alone insufficient. It requires a theoretical framework which theorises the relationship between one player’s musical experience and another’s. Only with this, can the sensory experiences of the researcher be used to inform analysis of participant observations and interviews. The autoethnographic experiences of the researcher are not findings in themselves. In relation to the ethical dividends, unlike other arts-based research, I found that the aesthetic micro-methods in this study did not naturally lend themselves to participant empowerment. The pursuit of aesthetic goals has its own division of labour which can lead to the deprioritisation of self-expression and co-learning which constitute the primary aims of classical participatory research. Overall, collaborative creative practice did enhance this research project but there are important caveats. To reflect these, I aruge that creative collaboration should not be considered as a simple sub-set of either ethnographic or participatory research but as a method in its own right.

Social Mechanisms of Musical Stylistic Change: A Case Study from Early 20th-Century France

This study examined notated meter changes in scores by French composers to probe the role of sociological mechanisms in musical stylistic change. The stylistic feature of notated meter changes, which indexed metrical complexity, was conducive to empirical observation and functioned as a salient innovation in France around 1900. The principal sociological variable was membership in the Apaches artistic club, known for its avant-garde identity. A hypothesis that the Apaches would use significantly more meter changes than their peers was supported. Additional explanatory variables were derived from previous historical research on French composers and from theories about stylistic change. A complex relationship between the stylistic feature and social mechanisms emerged, involving multiple, overlapping social structures. The Labovian sociolinguistic approach was especially resonant in this data, as a composer's proximity to certain individuals, groups, and institutions in the social space related to their degree of enthusiasm for metric innovation. In addition, sociolinguistic theories about stylistic variation in human languages were consistent with patterns in this data set. Finally, a descriptive title was also a significant explanatory variable, which implicates the Labovian notion of register and the importance that Meyer gave to aesthetic goals in musical stylistic change.

Video Commentary on: Abdominoplasty in the Massive Weight Loss Patient: Are Aesthetic Goals and Safety Mutually Exclusive?

Video Commentary on: Abdominoplasty in the Massive Weight Loss Patient: Are Aesthetic Goals and Safety Mutually Exclusive?

Orthodontic treatment planning: can we plan for stability?

Careful orthodontic treatment planning should involve the delineation of clear treatment objectives within each dental arch. Treatment planning decisions are underpinned by aesthetic goals, dental health considerations and the prospect of stability, with these factors often competing. There is also a near-universal acceptance of the requirement for some form of retention. A novel hierarchy of orthodontic stability is proposed. As further evidence emerges and technical refinement continues, it is likely that this will undergo further adaptation. Ultimately, however, this knowledge will ensure that our understanding of the merits of orthodontic intervention, allied to the burden of retention, can be clearly presented to prospective orthodontic patients.

3D Printed Surgical Guides Applied in Rhinoplasty to Help Obtain Ideal Nasal Profile.

As computer simulation for rhinoplasty continues to rise, the technology's utility extends beyond increasing patient conversion. Virtual simulation of the surgical result can assist with surgical planning and intraoperative decision-making. 3D printed anatomic models or surgical guides based on 3D images may help align surgeons with their original surgical plan. This study aims to evaluate the utility of 3D printed surgical guides as an intraoperative tool to help establish dorsal height and tip position. Patients undergoing rhinoplasty had preoperative virtual 3D surgical simulations performed. Simulations were used to create a 3D printed nasal kits containing ceramic models of the preoperative nose and simulated nose, sagittal contour guide, and customized postoperative nasal splint. Nasal guides were sterilized for continual intraoperative assessment of profile contour (i.e., dorsal height and tip position). Postoperative 3D images (1-3 months post-op) were then compared to preoperative simulations. The difference between z coordinates and y coordinates determined the difference in projection and rotation, respectively. Fifteen patients met inclusion criteria for this study. With the use of 3D printed surgical guides, the final tip position was on average of 0.8±0.7mm from simulated projection and 0.3±0.2mm from simulated rotation. Similarly, projection for the cartilaginous and bony dorsum was within 1.0±0.8 and 0.8±0.7mm of the simulation, respectively. Virtual simulation is useful in defining aesthetic goals preoperatively, but the potential clinical value extends beyond this. 3D printed rhinoplasty guides extend the simulation's utility to decision-making intraoperatively. This technology offers a novel medium for anatomic reference, which may improve adherence to desired aesthetic goals. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine Ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Evaluating Surgical Decision-making in Nonsyndromic Sagittal Craniosynostosis Using a Digital 3D Model.

Background:Surgical correction of craniosynostosis addresses potentially elevated intracranial pressure and the cranial deformity. In nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis, approximately 15% of patients have elevated intracranial pressure. The decision to operate therefore likely reflects a combination of aesthetic goals, prevention of brain growth restriction over time, surgeon training and experience, and parental expectations. This study examines clinical factors that influence surgical decision-making in nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis.Methods:An online survey sent to craniofacial and neurosurgeons presented 5 theoretical patients with varying severities of sagittal synostosis. For each cephalic index, 4 separate clinical scenarios were presented to assess influences of parental concern and developmental delay on the decision to operate.Results:Fifty-six surveys were completed (response rate = 28%). Participants were predominantly from North America (57%), had over 10 years of experience (75%), and performed over 20 craniosynostosis procedures annually (50%). Thirty percent of respondents indicated they would operate regardless of head shape and without clinical and/or parental concern. Head shape was the greatest predictor of decision to operate (P < 0.001). Parental concern and developmental delay were independently associated with decision to operate (P < 0.001). Surgeons with more experience were also more likely to operate across all phenotypes (OR: 2.69, P < 0.004).Conclusions:Surgeons responding to this survey were more strongly compelled to operate on children with nonsyndromic sagittal craniosynostosis when head shape was more severe. Additional factors, including parental concern and developmental delay, also influence the decision to operate, especially for moderate phenotypes. Geographic and subspecialty variations were not significant.