Aesthetic Implications Research Articles

The Role of Aesthetics in Medical Device Design

This paper examines the importance of aesthetics in the design of medical devices, examining how aesthetic considerations contribute to improved usability, patient acceptance, and emotional well-being. Medical device manufacturers have increasingly integrated aesthetic elements that go beyond functionality to foster a personal connection between devices and users. The incorporation of aesthetic design promotes psychological comfort, enhances trust, and facilitates a sense of satisfaction, particularly in devices intended for long-term use. By analyzing various case studies and examining current methods of quantifying aesthetic factors in medical devices, this study reveals the implications of aesthetics on device effectiveness and user compliance. The paper argues that while aesthetic value in medical devices is subjective, its impact on user experience and operational success is substantial. Finally, challenges related to regulatory standards, cultural diversity, and the balance between form and function are discussed, underscoring the need for an interdisciplinary approach to creating aesthetically mindful medical devices. Keywords: Aesthetic Design, Medical Device Usability, Patient Compliance, Emotional Well-being, User Experience, Product Acceptance.

Intersecting Visions: The Symbiotic Relationship of Literature and the Arts in the Antiquity and the Romantic Age

This paper presents the complex and dynamic relationship between literature and the arts, exploring how these two domains have symbiotically interacted, especially in the Antiquity and the Romantic Age. By examining the mutual influences, thematic resonances, and aesthetic convergences between literature and the arts, this study seeks to expose some of the complex intermedial dialogues that have enriched cultural expressions throughout history. Through a comparative analysis that spans mainly two key historical epochs – each marked by distinctive socio-cultural and philosophical currents –, this research highlights how literature and arts have not only reflected but also shaped and propelled each other’s evolution. The paper employs a dual methodological approach, combining theoretical frameworks with specific case studies, to demonstrate the way these artistic synergies have manifested. This approach allows for a more detailed understanding of the roles that art and literature play in both mirroring and constructing the human experience, thus offering insights into the broader cultural and aesthetic implications of their interplay. The study underscores the enduring power of artistic collaboration and influence, revealing how these intersections have contributed to the development of complex cultural narratives and the continuous redefinition of aesthetic and philosophical paradigms.

Speech Assessments in Hypoplastic Cleft Maxilla Treated by Anterior Segmental Distraction Osteogenesis

Introduction: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) affect the craniofacial region, with significant implications for speech, hearing, feeding, and facial aesthetics. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of anterior maxillary segmental distraction osteogenesis (AMSDO) using an internal distractor on speech outcomes in CLP patients, assessed using the Pittsburgh Weighted Speech Scale (PWSS).Methodology: A single-center prospective study was conducted between March 2022 and April 2024. Twelve CLP patients with maxillary hypoplasia, aged 17.8 to 32.6 years, were included. Purposive sampling was done to include patients with complete unilateral or bilateral CLP who exhibited Class III skeletal relationships with reverse overjet greater than 7 mm. Speech assessments were conducted preoperatively (1-3 months before surgery) and postoperatively (5-7 months after distraction). Speech samples were recorded and evaluated by a licensed speech-language pathologist using the PWSS. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-tests and Chi-square tests.Results: Significant improvements were observed in the total PWSS score (p = 0.03), nasality (p < 0.001), phonation (p < 0.001), and articulation errors (p = 0.004) postoperatively. No significant changes were seen in nasal emission and facial grimace. No correlation was found between the amount of distraction and speech outcomes. Unilateral cleft patients showed better outcomes than bilateral cleft patients, though not statistically significant.Conclusion: AMSDO significantly improves speech outcomes in CLP patients with maxillary hypoplasia. The PWSS is a reliable tool for assessing these changes. Further research with larger samples and longer follow-ups is warranted to confirm these findings.

Chemical analysis and performance evaluation of ClearCorrect® aligners as received and after intraoral use: Implications for durability, aesthetics, and patient safety

BackgroundOrthodontic treatment with transparent aligners is popular with patients. Any alteration of the plastic material, as subjected to the oral environment, could influence the treatment's durability, the aligner's aesthetic appearance, and the patient's safety. PurposeThis study concerns the physicochemical properties of ClearCorrect® aligners before and after intraoral use, focusing on transparency, surface topography, leachable, polymer glass transition temperature, and viscoelastic properties. MethodsAligners were collected after two weeks of intraoral use. Unused samples were obtained from the manufacturers. Transparency was measured by UV–visible spectroscopy. Chemical modifications were studied using infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Thermal degradation, glass transition (Tg), and storage modulus (E') were characterized by thermal analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA). Surface morphology and roughness were studied thanks to SEM and AFM. Aligners were immersed in water-based solutions to identify and quantify organic leachable by HPLC chromatography and trace elements by atomic absorption spectroscopy. ResultsClearCorrect® aligners have a three-layer structure (outer PETG/inner PU layers). Slight chemical alterations occurred after aging. There was also no significant evolution in Tg and thermal degradation temperatures and only a minimal evolution of E'. Surface and transparency alterations occurred. A difference in organic compound and trace element release levels between new and used aligners was evidenced, suggesting an intraoral release during use. SignificanceIntra-oral aging mainly impacts the aligner transparency and surface. The leachable study suggests significant ingestion of organic and non-organic compounds by the patient: investigations are needed to assess the impact of the long-term use of trays on patient health.

Accessory Penile Frenulum: May Go Unnoticed throughout the Journey to Graveyard

AbstractAn accessory frenulum of the penis is so rare that only four cases have been documented so far. We came across a case of 45-year-old, sexually active man who sought medical attention for right foot injury caused by a road traffic accident. During a detailed clinical evaluation, he was discovered to have double frenulum in his penis. Along with the normal ventral frenulum he had an additional dorsal frenulum located at the 10 O'clock position. No history of penile torsion could be elicited from the patient. He had completed his family by the time of presentation, without any symptom of sexual dysfunction or dyspareunia. He was not offered any treatment for this congenital anomaly as it did not have any functional or aesthetic implication. A literature review was conducted to determine the incidence, spectrum of clinical presentation, and management of this pathology.

Clinical effects of twin-block combined with maxillary expansion on the upper airway in adolescents with Class II malocclusion.

Class II malocclusion, particularly class II division 1, poses a significant orthodontic challenge with implications for both aesthetics and health. This study aimed to explore the impact of twin-block (TB) combined with maxillary expansion treatment (TB-ME) on upper airway dimensions and inflammatory profiles in adolescents with skeletal Class II Division 1 malocclusion in adolescent. Ninety-two eligible patients were randomly assigned to two groups: TB-ME treatment and traditional McLaughlin Bennett Trevisi (MBT) straight-wire orthodontic treatment (Control). Cephalometric lateral X-ray scans were conducted before and after treatment to assess skeletal changes, including SNA, ANB, and SNB angles, which are essential to assess the anteroposterior relationships of the maxilla and mandible to the cranial base. We also measured the upper airway volumes and areas. Concentrations of inflammatory factors including intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) of gingival crevicular fluid analysis (GCF) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. TB-ME treatment induced significant improvement in cephalometric parameters, including a decrease in SNA and ANB angles and an increase in SNB angle. Upper airway volumes and areas increased significantly in both groups, with TB-ME showing greater improvements. GCF analysis revealed a reduction in ICAM-1, MMP2, and IL-8 concentrations in the TB-ME group compared to the Control group. TB-ME treatment demonstrates multifaceted improvements in skeletal malocclusion, upper airway dimensions, and inflammatory profiles in adolescents with class II division 1 malocclusion, showing the promise of TB-ME in addressing the complexities associated with class II malocclusion.

Plants as Designers of Better Futures

This research explores the idea of plants as designers and discusses approaches that humans can use to support plant’s productive agencies. It argues that plants have unique and valuable capabilities for creating and caring for their environments. Human interventions often overlook or constrain such capabilities. In response, the article proposes to use numerical modelling to better understand plants better while challenging the anthropocentric assumptions that are common in design. It focuses on large old trees in Tasmania as examples of outstanding plant-designers that need more recognition and protection. The article also raises open questions for further research on the ethical, ecological, and aesthetic implications of vegetal design.

Saline Dreams

This text examines the engineered ecology and resultant aesthetic implications of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Dust Mitigation Project at Owens Lake, California with an eye toward its aesthetic implications and potential for understanding large-scale landscape design in the Anthropocene. Imagined here is a near-future evolution of this infrastructure toward strange new landscapes, turning radically empirical environmental geoengineering techniques toward an emergent, more expansive aesthetic dimension.

The Expressive and Aesthetic Implications of the Body in the Cinematic Film

تلعب المضامين التعبيرية والجمالية للجسد دورًا هامًا في الفيلم السينمائي. حيث يعد الجسد وسيلة فنية قوية للتعبير عن الأفكار والمشاعر والرسائل في السينما، ويمكن استخدامه بشكل مبتكر لإيصال المضامين الفنية والجمالية. تعتمد هذه المضامين على استخدام حركات الجسد وتعابير الوجه ومواقف الشخصيات للتعبير عن العواطف والتحولات النفسية وتطور القصة. يتم استخدام الجسد في السينما لإيصال الرسائل الفنية بشكل بصري وغير لفظي، ويمكن أن يكون له تأثير كبير على تجربة المشاهدين وفهمهم للفيلم. من خلال ما تقدم تضمن البحث اربعة فصول تناول الفصل الاول الإطار المنهجي، مشكلة البحث والتي تضمنت سؤال المشكلة المتمثل بما هي الكيفيات والمضامين التعبيرية والجمالية التي يتشكل منها الجسد، وما هي العناصر الفنية، لتجسيد ذلك في الفلم السينمائي؟ ثم هدف البحث واهمية البحث والحاجة اليه ثم حدود البحث وتعريف المصطلحات، أما الفصل الثاني، الإطار النظري تضمن ثلاثة مباحث المبحث الاول مضامين الجسد ذاتيا وإيحائيا اما المبحث الثاني التركيب الصوري للجسد اما المبحث الثالث الجسد وارتباطاته الفنية ثم الدراسات السابقة وما أسفر عنه الإطار النظري من مؤشرات اما الفصل الثالث، إجراءات البحث تضمن مجتمع البحث ومنهجه وأداته وعينته وتحليل العينة ثم الفصل الرابع الذي تضمن نتائج واستنتاجات ومقترحات وتوصيات ومصادر.

Evaluation of the Effect of Botulinum Toxin A on the Lymphatic Endothelial Cells

IntroductionBotulinum toxin A (BoTA) is a neurotoxin formed by Clostridium botulinum, with a broad medical application spectrum. While the primary effect of BoTA is on the muscles, the effects of BoTA in other systems including the blood vasculature have already been examined, revealing unexpected actions. However, no studies exist to the best of our knowledge regarding the potential effects of BoTA on the lymphatic vascular system, possessing a critical role in health and disease. Isolated human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) were cultured in dedicated in vitro culture systems. The analysis including imaging and cell culture approaches as well as molecular biology techniques is performed to examine the LEC alterations occurring upon exposure to different concentrations of BoTA.Materials and MethodsHuman LECs were cultured and expanded on collagen-coated petri dishes using endothelial basal medium and the commercial product Botox from Allergan as used for all our experiments. Harvested cells were used in various in vitro functional tests to assess the morphologic and functional properties of the BoTA-treated LECs. Gene expression analysis was performed to assess the most important lymphatic system-related genes and pathways.ResultsConcentrations of 1, 5 or 10 U of BoTA did not demonstrate a significant effect regarding the proliferation and migration capacity of the LECs versus untreated controls. Interestingly, even the smallest BoTA dose was found to significantly decrease the cord-like-structure formation capacity of the seeded LECs. Gene expression analysis was used to underpin possible molecular alterations, suggesting no significant effect of BoTA in the modification of gene expression versus the starvation medium control.ConclusionLECs appear largely unaffected to BoTA treatment, with an isolated effect on the cord-like-structure formation capacity. Further work needs to assess the effect of BoTA on the smooth-muscle-cell-covered collecting lymphatic vessels and the possible aesthetic implications of such an effect, due to edema formation.Level of Evidence VThis 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.

Implications of Rock Art Aesthetics in Olmec Sculpture

AbstractThe development of freestanding stone sculpture by the Olmec people of Mesoamerica's Gulf lowlands has long been considered one of the defining artistic achievements of the Formative period. However, by the Middle Formative period the production of freestanding sculpture was often eclipsed by the contemporaneous creation of rock art outside the Gulf lowlands. In this article I argue that Gulf Olmec sculptors and audiences occasionally co-opted the aesthetic and ritual treatments of rock art at topographic shrines to construct and reinforce the sacred geographies of primary site cores. In so doing, Olmec elites converted the ideological power of the wild and the animate earth into a form of political capital.

Observații filosofice despre arhitectura religioasă și arta sacră

This article tackles the aesthetic implications of religious architecture, somehow outshined by dominant metaphysical undertakings of the sacred space. The first part of this study deals with the interpretation of the principles of religious architecture explained by Vitruvius and their impact on the German and Scottish Enlightenment. The second part sheds light on the Kantian approach of the religious space through the aesthetic category of the sublime in its two paradigms – mathematical and dynamical – closely observing to what extent they support Kant’s intention to project religion within the limits of reason. From here, the research tracks the inheritance of these traditions reflected by Hegel’s Lectures of Aesthetics, for whom the architecture is embedded in the so-called symbolic art, one of the three major components of the system of arts. In the end, we will see how modern philosophy leaves a last trace of interest on religious architecture and the phenomenon of living in some Heideggerian writings, but without any aesthetic intention. We will check what the possibility of a theological program of religious architecture still means at the end of modernity, relying on some notes of Le Corbusier, and how we can recover a traditional model of religious architecture, which can explain the aesthetic experience beyond the metaphysical one, in the Eastern Orthodox Romanian mental space.

‘Vivo en la villa de los nombres reales’: ética y política del nombre propio en Formas de volver a casa de Alejandro Zambra

This article analyzes the importance of characters’ names in Alejandro Zambra's 2011 novel FORMAS DE VOLVER A CASA. Although proper names in most fiction have some meaning, Zambra uses the names, lack of names, pseudonyms and nicknames of his characters, particularly the two narrators who double Zambra himself, to guide the reader toward the novel's subject: the ethical and aesthetic pitfalls of writing fiction, not testimony, about the evils of the Pinochet regime. Negotiating these pitfalls will help Zambra's avatars, and all Chileans, toward a social reconciliation that has yet to be complete. Zambra´s citing of Romain Gary in the novel´s epigraph affords a crucial link between the ethical and aesthetic implications here discussed.

The Semantics of Beauty in Spanish Adjectives: Conceptual Structure and Implications for Folk Aesthetics

Abstract This article presents an analysis of Spanish adjectives that express positive aesthetic evaluation, framed in terms of Conceptual Semantics. The sample of ninety-six adjectives (with one hundred and forty-eight individual meanings) was taken from the Diccionario ideográfico y semántico de la valoración estética positiva en español. Semantic analysis of dictionary definitions showed that beauty is ascribed by way of three distinct conceptual structures, with beauty seen respectively as an intrinsic quality, as cause or effect or as a resemblance. It further showed a clear prevalence of visual attributes and part structure as targets of aesthetic evaluation, with other secondary qualities (like daintiness, perfection, effort, grace, taste and uniqueness) also being ascribed. A quantitative analysis yielded informative correlations between some of these pieces of semantic information, in the form of asymmetries between human and non-human beauty, which point to some interesting implications and questions for Spanish folk aesthetics.

A novel hybrid BonT-A and hyaluronic acid cannula-based technique for eyelid ptosis and periorbital rejuvenation.

Eyelid ptosis is characterized by an inferior displacement of the upper eyelid when the eye assumes its primary position. Besides its aesthetic implications, ptosis can also adversely affect visual acuity. This study aimed to evaluate the simultaneous administration of IncobotulinumtoxinA (IncoBonTA) and hyaluronic acid effect in eyelid ptosis and ocular rejuvenation. A novel, non-surgical technique for eyelid ptosis management involving IncoBonTA and hyaluronic acid the co-administration within a single syringe, and applied using a cannula. The dual action of IncoBonTA and hyaluronic acid in conjunction with the exact injection sites approaches improves overall aesthetic outcomes but also optimizes the restoration of eyelid functionality in palpebral ptosis. The functional balance achieved among the contributory muscles-primarily the orbicularis oculi (OO) and its antagonists, the frontal muscle and levator palpebrae superioris (LPS), yields to both, cosmetic and functional.

A REVIEW OF THE CULTURAL LEVELS OF THE ARTISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF YANGJIABU NEW YEAR WOODCUT PRINTS

YangJiaBu New Year woodcut prints, integral to China's intangible cultural heritage, encapsulate the nation's rich folk traditions and artistic expressions. This study investigates their evolving cultural significance in the context of global cultural shifts. It adopts the method of literature analysis to explore in depth the inheritance and innovative application of these prints, offering insights into their historical background, development patterns, and cultural values. The research draws on interdisciplinary perspectives to articulate the cultural evolution of these prints and their implications for cultural attributes, artistic aesthetics, and innovation direction. The YangJiaBu prints, embodying traditional Chinese culture's ethos, have undergone significant transformations across dynasties, reflecting the changing societal values and aspirations. This paper presents a tiered analysis using cultural genetics and cultural level theories, examining the prints' role in enhancing social connections and individual life experiences. It emphasizes their potential in design innovation, cultural heritage preservation, and fostering societal progress. The study also explores the interplay between art and technology, proposing a systematic design paradigm to integrate traditional culture into modern contexts. This synopsis retraces YangJiaBu prints' historical and cultural journey, highlighting their potential to enrich modern design and cultural innovation.

The aesthetic implications of 3D technologies on the spatial conceptualizations, configurations, and articulations of my compositional process

Incorporating 3D spatialization technologies into my artistic practice allowed me to explore a different perspective about the sound capacity to transform and broaden our understanding of space. This article delves into the effects of various methods, techniques, and 3D spatialization tools on the way I approach composition. It offers insight into my creative process, covering conceptualizations, configurations, and articulations, through the presentation of two projects and future trajectories.

The aesthetic and affective matrix of pre-reflective sensemaking at the origins of the relationship between subject and world: A dialogue between Kant’s Third Critique and psychoanalysis

ABSTRACT The authors discuss the relevance of aesthetic and affective experience at the heart of the human being’s capability to relate to the world and to found relations of sense. Faced with anguish that the world can be meaningless and with fear of uncertainty/chaos, trust and hope are needed for the world to be a hospitable place for existence. Such experience is aesthetic, sensitive and affective before being rational, reflective and deliberative. Through a dialogue between Kant, Winnicott and Bion, it is shown how foundation of trust is based on two essential aspects: (1) The illusion that reality was created to allow us to live in it (namely, the fictionality is a prerequisite for each possible development of psyche) and (2) this illusion is not generated by a solipsistic activity of the human mind; rather, it is made possible starting from the primordial relationship with the other, by containing anguish, nourishing trust and hope, and supporting psychic development and elaboration of progressive forms of symbolisation. The authors discuss how these points have a profound aesthetic implication through deepening the reflection on the ontogenetic development of the psyche, the complex intertwining between primary and secondary processes, and clinical implications.

Health warning labels on cannabis products. What is the best design?

BackgroundHealth warning label on cannabis products has been recently studied, and with the latest trends of regulation around the world, there is a need to determine the most effective ways to apply this strategy. The current study aimed to examine the effects of different health warning label designs (pictorial vs text-only, background color, warning themes) on cannabis products. MethodsAn online experiment study (N=533) was carried out in Colombia with a between-subject design. Participants were randomly assigned to five package conditions: without warning, text-only white warning, text-only yellow warning, pictorial white warning, and pictorial yellow warning. Participants performed an attention task and rated each of the stimuli based on product appeal, perceived addictiveness, harm perception, and interest in trying cannabis products. ResultsPictorial health warnings were generally the most effective. Especially, pictorial health warnings with a yellow background were found to decrease product appeal and interest in trying cannabis products, as well as increase harm perception compared to other designs. The most effective warning themes were mental health, smoke toxicity, aesthetic implications, and traffic accidents. ConclusionThe current study provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of different designs of cannabis health warnings. Our results suggest that graphic yellow warnings are the most effective in communicating the risks of cannabis use.

Ethics and aesthetics of adaptive heritage reuse in Europe: an introduction to what happens to territories when heritage is touched

PurposeThe paper introduces ethical and aesthetical implications emerging from participative forms of adaptive heritage reuse. Its aim is to depict the overall framework to contextualize the investigations explored in the Special Issue titled “Ethics and aesthetics of adaptive heritage reuse in Europe.” Therefore, the article confronts with potentialities and contradictions of “open” heritage processes, introducing key critical elements to recode heritage practices and planning in today’s conjuncture of global change.Design/methodology/approachThe paper drawn on a literature review, which combines different bodies of studies: heritage, urban studies, care studies and recent policy documents. A photographic essay, moreover, serves to “augment” the presented argumentations through a visual apparatus resulting from one of Gaia Ginevra Giorgi’s artwork, which develops in the intersection between performative art, participation and territorial reuse.FindingsThe author argues that for adaptive heritage reuse to be really sustainable, ethical and aesthetical heritage codes need to be reassessed and reoriented toward the present socio-ecological priorities, multiplicating the ways cultural heritage is conceived, valued and reused. The paper suggests proceeding along the creative paths of uncertainty, providing the first elements to develop political projects of abundance and enjoyment for current urban settlements.Practical implicationsThe presented argumentations can be used as a baseline by heritage managers and policymakers to experiment with participative processes of adaptive heritage reuse and to identify more environmentally and socially just trajectories of urban development.Originality/valueThe paper expands the concept of adaptive heritage reuse, considering the active participation of both human and non-human agents. Treating heritage in a laic way, namely free from absolute and preordered judgments of value, it deals with uncomfortable heritage materiality and contexts, illuminating the quality of unpleasant or odd forms of beauty.