Fractal Dimension Values Research Articles

Relationship analysis of surface roughness measurements on coatings using AFM and fractal dimension by mesoscopic model methods

Surface coating is a method used for protection against corrosion and environmental impact for metals. In the case of solid surfaces, coatings can be achieved by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering or other corrosion-resistant substances, which may involve the deposition of one or more layers, depending on the procedure involved, modifying the morphology of the surface and surface area. This work aims to study the relationship of two surface morphological methods through roughness and fractal dimension measurements in top-surface coatings, bilayer Ti/WTiN/WTiC (named as n = 1); multilayer [Ti/WTiN/WTiC] (named as n = 40) deposited by RF-magnetron sputtering. The measurements were obtained by profilometer and image processing pixel intensity. The topography of each coating exhibited texture with impurities as domes distributed in small cluster island types. The surface roughness were 9.42 and 18.63 nm; fractal dimension measurements were 2.55 and 2.32, respectively, with a low correlation between roughness and fractal dimension. The R-squared analysis exhibited a good relationship between the fractal dimension values, tending linear regression negative. The result of factorial design 22 confirmed the performance correlation and linear regression analyses. The fractal dimension measurements by the optical method can be great potential to evaluate surface roughness complementary in applications such as laboratories and even in scale industrial. Thus the result of statistical treatment shows high accuracy in the measurements.

A retrospective comparative fractal and radiomorphometric analysis of the effect of 3 generations of anti-epileptic drugs on the mandible

The present study investigated the possible impacts of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) on trabecular and cortical bone in the mandible. Fractal dimension (FD) and the radiomorphometric parameters of mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI), and mandibular cortical index (MCI) were assessed on 497 dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) of patients in the case group and controls. AEDs were compared according to 3 generations, duration of use, and patient age and sex. FD of the angle and body of the mandible and MCW were significantly lower in the case group than in the control group (P < .001). FD values in the ramus and angle were lower in first-generation and third-generation AEDs than in second-generation drugs (P ≤ .011). FD in the mandibular body was lower in first-generation and second-generation AED users than in third-generation drugs (P=.017). Drug use for at least 1 year resulted in significantly lower values for all FDs and MCW values and more class 3 MCI assessments than short-duration use, but PMI was higher with more than 1 year of AED use (P ≤ .020). Age and sex had no significant effects. AEDs caused significant changes in bone compared with controls in some FD values, MCW, and MCI. The effect of drug generation is pronounced in trabecular bone. Anti-epileptic drug use for more than 1 year had a greater effect than short-term use.

Spectral And Fractal Analysis of Volcanic Tremor at Ijen Volcano, Indonesia

A volcanic tremor is one of the seismic events that is usually recorded at the Ijen volcano. In 2014 the status of the Ijen volcano had yet to be declared normal after being critical in 2012. Many volcanic tremors are still recorded since then. This study aims at analyzing the volcanic tremors of Ijen volcano using the January to March 2014 seismic recording data obtained from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, Bandung, Indonesia. We analyzed the spectra and fractal of volcanic tremors. Fractal and spectral analysis was conducted to investigate the dynamical system regarding the sources of the mechanism. Spectral analysis was estimated using the Fast Fourier Transform method, and fractal analysis was estimated using the regularization method. The spectra of a single volcanic tremor had frequencies of 1.1-1.5 Hz. Fractal analyzes were performed to identify dynamic systems. The fractal of a single volcanic tremor had a dimension of 2-2.3. Based on the frequency and fractal dimension values obtained, we suspect that the trigger of the volcanic tremors of the Ijen volcano is a fluid-filled crack mechanism.

Fractal Dimension of Silhouette Magnetic Resonance Brain Images as a Measure of Age-Associated Changes in Cerebral Hemispheres

Aim: The aim of the present study was to characterize age-associated changes in the spatial configuration of cerebral hemispheres (including changes in spatial complexity and space-filling capacity) using fractal analysis of silhouette magnetic resonance brain images. Material and Methods: Magnetic resonance brain images of 100 (44 male, 56 female) participants aged between 18-86 years were studied. Five magnetic resonance images were selected from the magnetic resonance imaging dataset of each brain, including four tomographic sections in the coronal plane and one in the axial plane. Fractal dimension values of the cerebral hemispheres silhouettes were measured using the two-dimensional box-counting algorithm. Morphometric parameters based on Euclidean geometry (perimeter, area, and their derivative values) were determined as well. Results: The average fractal dimension value of the five studied tomographic sections was 1.878±0.0009, the average value of four coronal sections was 1.868±0.0010. It was shown that fractal dimension values of cerebral silhouettes for all studied tomographic sections and four coronal sections significantly decrease with age (r=-0.512, p&amp;lt;0.001 and r=-0.491, p&amp;lt;0.001, respectively). The difference in the character of age-related changes in males and females was not statistically significant. Based on the age and the fractal dimension values of the studied sample, the confidence intervals of the fractal dimension values of cerebral hemispheres silhouettes were determined, which can be used as norm criteria in clinical neuroimaging. Conclusion: The fractal analysis and obtained data can be used in neuroimaging for assessing the degree of age-related cerebral atrophy and for differentiating between normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Long-Term Change of Coastline Length along Selected Coastal Countries of Eurasia and African Continents

The acquisition of dynamic coastline change at fine spatial and temporal resolution is essential for enhancing sustainable coastal economic development and coastal environmental conservation. Port construction, land reclamation, urban development, and sediment deposition have resulted in extensive coastline change. In this study, the coastlines along the 56 coastal countries in 1990, 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2020 were delineated and classified into six categories using Landsat time–series images. Five relevant indices, i.e., the length, length ratio, length change rate, index of coastline utilization degree (ICUD), and fractal dimension (FD), were calculated to analyze and explore the spatiotemporal pattern of the coastlines. The results indicate that: (1) The overall length of the coastlines has increased from 3.45 × 105 km to 3.48 × 105 km in the past 30 years, with a net increase of nearly 3904 km. Between 1990 and 2020, the length of the artificial coastline increased by about 13,835 km (4.9~8.8%), while the length of the natural coastline decreased by 9932 km (95.1~91.2%). The increase in artificial coastline is concentrated in Southeast Asia and South Asia. (2) The coastline fractal dimensions (FDs) of countries and continents show that the average FD values of countries in South Asia (1.3~1.4) and Southeast Asia (1.2~1.3) were higher than other countries in the study regions, meaning that the coastlines in South Asia and Southeast Asia are more complex and curved. (3) The value of the ICUD index increased consistently between 1990 and 2015 (177.7~186.6) but decreased sharply between 2015 and 2020 (186.6~162.4), implying that the impact of human activities on the coastline continued to increase until 2015 and began to decrease after 2015. Our study examined the changes in various types of coastlines, which could be significant for sustainable development and environmental protection in coastal areas.

Fractal Analysis of Fuel Nozzle Surface Morphology Based on the 3D-Sandbox Method.

The dual oil circuit centrifugal fuel nozzle is made of martensitic stainless steel, which has complex morphological characteristics. The surface roughness characteristics of the fuel nozzle directly affect the degree of fuel atomization and the spray cone angle. The surface characterization of the fuel nozzle is investigated by the fractal analysis method. A sequence of images of an unheated treatment fuel nozzle and a heated treatment fuel nozzle are captured by the super-depth digital camera. The 3-D point cloud of the fuel nozzle is acquired by the shape from focus technique, and its three-dimensional (3-D) fractal dimensions are calculated and analyzed by the 3-D sandbox counting method. The proposed method can characterize the surface morphology well, including the standard metal processing surface and the fuel nozzle surface, and the experiments show that the 3-D surface fractal dimension is positively correlated with the surface roughness parameter. The 3-D surface fractal dimensions of the unheated treatment fuel nozzle were 2.6281, 2.8697, and 2.7620, compared with the heated treatment fuel nozzles dimensions of 2.3021, 2.5322, and 2.3327. Thus, the 3-D surface fractal dimension value of the unheated treatment is larger than that of the heated treatment and is sensitive to surface defects. This study indicates that the 3-D sandbox counting fractal dimension method is an effective method to evaluate the fuel nozzle surface and other metal processing surfaces.

Fractal-based hydraulic model of unsaturated flow in deformable soils considering the evolution of pore size distribution

This paper presents a fractal-based hydraulic model for unsaturated flow, which includes the soil water retention curve (SWRC) and relative hydraulic conductivity curve (RHCC), and considers the evolution of pore size distribution (PSD) during soil deformation. In this model, soil PSD is assumed to follow the fractal scaling law, and soil deformation is characterized by a change in the fractal dimension and air entry value. By combining the intrinsic constraint between void ratio and fractal dimension, the fractal description of PSD evolution during volumetric deformation of soils is clearly defined, and the void ratio-dependent SWRC and RHCC are derived. All model parameters can be calibrated from the SWRC data of soils under two initial void ratios, and can then be used to predict the SWRC and RHCC of the soil under arbitrary deformation states. Eight experimental data sets, including SWRC and RHCC data under different initial void ratios, are used to evaluate the proposed model. Results show that: (1) the fractal-based hydraulic model can well describe the influence of volumetric deformation on the hydraulic properties of unsaturated soils, and (2) ignoring the evolution of PSD during soil compression will significantly overestimate the water retention ability and hydraulic conductivity of soils.

Optic disc and retinal vascular features in first 6 years of Chinese children.

Retinal microvasculature plays an important role in children's fundus lesions and even in their later life. However, little was known on the features of normal retina in early life. The purpose of this study was to explore the normal retinal features in the first 6 years of life and provide information for future research. Children, aged from birth to 6 years old and diagnosed with various unilateral ocular diseases were included. Venous phase fundus fluorescein angiography images with the optic disc at the center were collected. Based on the ResUNet convolutional neural network, optic disc and retinal vascular features in the posterior retina were computed automatically. A total of 146 normal eyes of 146 children were included. Among different age groups, no changes were shown in the optic disc diameter (y = -0.00002x + 1.362, R2 = 0.025, p = 0.058). Retinal vessel density and fractal dimension are linearly and strongly correlated (r = 0.979, p < 0.001). Older children had smaller value of fractal dimension (y = -0.000026x + 1.549, R2 = 0.075, p = 0.001) and narrower vascular caliber if they were less than 3 years old (y = -0.008x + 84.861, R2 = 0.205, p < 0.001). No differences were in the density (y = -0.000007x + 0.134, R2 = 0.023, p = 0.067) and the curvature of retinal vessels (lnC = -0.00001x - 4.657, R2 = 0.001, p = 0.667). Age and gender did not impact the optic disc diameter, vessel density, and vessel curvature significantly in this group of children. Trends of decreased vessel caliber in the first 3 years of life and decreased vessel complexity with age were observed. The structural characteristics provide information for future research to better understand the developmental origin of the healthy and diseased retina.

Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix, Fractal and Wavelet Analyses of Discrete Changes in Cell Nuclear Structure following Osmotic Stress: Focus on Machine Learning Methods

In this work, we demonstrate that it is possible to create supervised machine-learning models using a support vector machine and random forest algorithms to separate yeast cells exposed to hyperosmotic stress from intact cells. We performed fractal, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), and discrete wavelet transform analyses on digital micrographs of nuclear regions of interest of a total of 2000 Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells: 1000 exposed to hyperosmotic environments and 1000 control cells. For each nucleus, we calculated values for fractal dimension, angular second moment, inverse difference moment, textural contrast, correlation feature, textural variance, and discrete wavelet coefficient energy. The support vector machine achieved an acceptable classification accuracy of 71.7% in predicting whether the cell belonged to the experimental or control group. The random forest model performed better than the support vector machine, with a classification accuracy of 79.8%. These findings can serve as a starting point for developing AI-based methods that use GLCM, fractal, and wavelet data to classify damaged and healthy cells and make predictions about various physiological and pathological phenomena associated with osmotic stress.

Evaluation of trabecular changes following advancement genioplasty combined with or without bilateral sagittal split osteotomy by fractal analysis: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundIt is aimed to investigate whether there was a difference in radiographic changes in the operational areas between genioplasty alone and genioplasty combined with mandibular advancement and to evaluate the fractal dimension (FD) to assess trabecular changes after genioplasty surgery.MethodsPreoperative-(T0) and postoperative-(T1) panoramic radiographs of 26 patients without any complications who underwent genioplasty combined with bilateral sagittal osteotomy and mandibular advancement or genioplasty alone were selected. In the panoramic radiographs of both groups, the genial segment, mandibular angulus, and surgical osteotomy line were examined using FD. The box-counting method was used for FD evaluation.ResultsIt was determined that FD values before and after treatment were similar in both groups for all regions where measurements were made. After surgery, the FD values of the middle region of the genial segment were found to be significantly lower than the other regions. At T1, the FD values at the osteotomy area were found to be significantly higher than those in the middle region of the genial segment.ConclusionTrabecular structure does not differ in patients undergoing genioplasty alone or in combination with mandibular advancement osteotomy. The middle region of the genial segment heals later than other regions.

Properties and Fractal Analysis of High-Protein Milk Powders

(1) Background: Optimization of production and evaluation of the quality of preparations containing milk proteins facilitates their use in various branches of the food industry. The aim of this study was to produce and characterize high-protein milk powders (MCC, SPC) obtained by membrane techniques, and to compare them with industrially produced powders (WPC, CH, WPH, WPI). (2) Methods: The composition, reconstitution and flow properties, particle size, and microstructure of milk powders were determined, and fractal analysis was performed. (3) Results: MCC and SPC produced by the membrane separation of skim milk and industrially produced powders were characterized by a wettability of &gt;180 s and a high solubility (0.10–0.85 cm3), excluding MCC (10.75 cm3 of insoluble particles). Flowability expressed as the Carr index was very good in CH (&lt;15%), good in MCC (15–20%), and fairly good in the remaining powders (20–25%). All powders were moderately cohesive, excluding CH, which was characterized by low cohesiveness. The analyzed preparations differed in the values of fractal dimension. (4) Conclusions: The reconstitution and rheological properties of high-protein milk powders were affected by their composition, particle size, porosity, and surface properties. The fractal approach to the microstructure of milk particles enabled the unambiguous detection of subtle differences in the microstructure of the analyzed samples, which could not be identified during a visual assessment.

Geochemistry and Geometrical Features of the Upper Cretaceous Vitulano Para-Autochthonous Karst Bauxites (Campania Region, Southern Italy): Constraints on Genesis and Deposition

In the Vitulano area, Upper Cretaceous bauxite bodies fill small depressions and karst cavities within Cretaceous shallow-water limestones. These bauxites were studied to understand the processes that led to their formation. Geochemical, mineralogical, and petrographic analyses were carried out on the bauxite samples, together with image analysis providing geometric parameters. The texture of Vitulano bauxite consists of ooids and sub-circular aggregates dispersed in a predominantly Ca-rich matrix. Ooids are generally formed by a single large core, often surrounded by an alternation of different aggregates of boehmite and Al-hematite reflecting different climate periods. The composition is dominated by the major elements Al2O3 and CaO with lower concentrations of Fe2O3 and SiO2. Boehmite, calcite, hematite, and anatase are the main mineralogical phases identified. Image analysis provided values of fractal dimension D that gives information on carbonate platform exposure times since it is linked to long-lasting sub-aerial events and diffusion-limited cluster aggregation processes. The tectonic evolution of the area played an important role in the genesis of the Vitulano bauxites since it favored the erosion, transport, and re-deposition of pre-existing bauxite material from the surrounding Campania bauxites. Based on this hypothesis, Vitulano bauxites are defined and classified as para-autochthonous, and this was supported by Eu/Eu* vs. Sm/Nd and Eu/Eu* vs. TiO2 Al2O3 indices displaying a similarity between Vitulano and the other Campania bauxites.

Identification of Animal Meat as Halal Product Authentication Using the Box Counting Method

Awareness and the need for authentication or assurance of the authenticity of halal foods is a challenge in many countries, especially in Muslim countries. So, many countries where the majority of the population is Muslim are quite strict in ensuring the sale and purchase of meat, especially in traditional markets. Therefore, this study aim is to find a system to identify the types of meat from the image, such as the initiation of the manufacture of practical technology for the authentication of halal products. In this study, the box-counting method was used to determine the fractal dimension value of the identified animal flesh image. The container counting method uses the texture of the animal’s meat that has unique characteristics of each type. The results of the identification of the animal meat obtained were 24 tests which were correctly identified from a total of 36 test data. This translates into a 66,67% success rate for the system.

Analysis of Cauchy problem with fractal-fractional differential operators

Abstract Cauchy problems with fractal-fractional differential operators with a power law, exponential decay, and the generalized Mittag-Leffler kernels are considered in this work. We start with deriving some important inequalities, and then by using the linear growth and Lipchitz conditions, we derive the conditions under which these equations admit unique solutions. A numerical scheme was suggested for each case to derive a numerical solution to the equation. Some examples of fractal-fractional differential equations were presented, and their exact solutions were obtained and compared with the used numerical scheme. A nonlinear case was considered and solved, and numerical solutions were presented graphically for different values of fractional orders and fractal dimensions.

Subtle Immunoreactivity Differences in the Fractal Patterns of Membrane E-Cadherin in Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cancer continues to be a significant malignancy worldwide, accounting for approximately one million new cases in 2020. Scientists are focusing on the cancerous cells' plasma membrane (PM) as a potential therapeutic target in cancer because it functions as the cell's interface with its environment through a variety of mechanisms. The capacity of membrane shape and its structures to influence biological processes frequently occurs through the regulation of enzymes or preferential protein binding to membranes via membrane shape changes. We aimed here to assess the morphological irregularities of the cellular membranes in gastric adenocarcinoma tumors, and to find any putative differences from normal gastric mucosae epithelial cells. We analyzed the pattern of E-cadherin at the level of the cell membrane using the fractal dimension (FD) analysis on fluorescence immunohistochemistry samples labeled with E-cadherin in gastric well/moderate and solid gastric adenocarcinoma from patients without any associated chemotherapeutic treatment or radiotherapy. Images were binarized based on a fixed threshold of the E-cadherin fluorescence channel, and then the FD of the binarized image outlines has been calculated in order to assess the ruggedness of the cellular membranes. Overall assessment of the FD revealed that the subtle membrane variations were evident enough to deem a statistically significant difference and the complexity of the membrane roughness was clearly higher for adenocarcinoma cases. We intended to evaluate if separating adenocarcinoma cases as low grade (G1 and G2) and high grade (G3 and solid), FD analysis could still differentiate membrane patterns and check if the available clinical parameters like age, gender, tumor location, lymph ganglia involved might correlate with FD values for adenocarcinoma patients. Altogether, the morphological analysis of a simple marker for the cell membrane can identify and distinguish tumor cells. Although there was a limited correlation between this analysis and the main clinical and pathological indicators of the disease, it will be very useful in the future for automatic computer-assisted diagnosis on slides, as well as for evaluating cellular adhesion and inter-cellular trafficking in cancer cells.

Study on performance and fractal characteristics of high-strength manufactured sand concrete with different MB values

The mud powder in the manufactured sand will have an influence on the indicators of the manufactured sand concrete (MSC), and the methylene blue value can quantitatively indicate the mud powder content. To demonstrate the impact of MB values on the performance and microstructural characteristics of the manufactured sand concrete, the paper designed five high-strength MSC proportions at five MB values by controlling the clay powder content. On this basis, the workability, chloride migration coefficient, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity (P), mass loss rate (η), and dry shrinkage rate of MSC concrete were tested under five mix ratios, and the relationship between concrete microstructure, fractal characteristics, and compressive strength (fcc) was analyzed by combining SEM technology and fractal theory. The experiment showed that: the higher the MB, the lower the fluidity of the MSC, and the cohesiveness gradually increases, while the water retention remains basically unchanged. In addition, the chloride migration coefficient gradually increases, the P after 300 freeze-thaw cycles first increases and then gradually decreases, while the η and drying shrinkage first decreases and then gradually increases, and the MB value corresponding to the turning point of these three changes are all 1.10. With MB values of 0.85 and 1.10, the degree of hydration of MSC is higher and the overall structural compactness is better. The higher the MB value, the more inadequate the hydration of concrete, and the mineral components such as fly ash that have not been hydrated inside gradually increase, which leads to the gradual decrease of the overall structure compactness. In addition, when the MB value is small, the SEM image texture of concrete is relatively simple, the fractal dimension value is small, and the corresponding fcc is large. When the MB value is large, the texture of the SEM image is complex, the fractal dimension is large, and the corresponding fcc is small.

Grain size and shape fractal characteristics of gangue in the process of 'jaw breaking-ball milling'.

This study investigates the fractal characteristics of the particle size and shape distribution of gangue powder in the "jaw crushing-ball milling" process using mudstone gangue. For this, fractal theory, laser particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscope and other mesoscopic research methods were introduced. This study has several main factors, including the discharge port width in the jaw crushing stage, the grinding particle size, ball-to-powder ratio in the ball milling stage, and the fractal dimension changes of the gangue in different crushing stages. The results indicate that in the process of "jaw crushing-ball milling", gangue's particle size and shape fractal dimension values changed periodically. During the jaw crushing stage, the particle size fractal dimension increases with the width of the discharge opening, ranging from 1.85 to 1.92. The value of the shape fractal dimension varies from 2.65 to 2.84. Ball milling causes the fractal dimension value of gangue particle size to increase with time before agglomeration and decrease after agglomeration. By comparing different in-grinding particle sizes and ball-to-powder ratio, it is found that the fractal dimension value of gangue particle size decreases with the increase of in-grinding particle size and increases with the increase of ball-to-powder ratio. The final gangue's particle size fractal dimension value is concentrated between 2.5 and 2.8. The fractal dimension of particle shape increases with the increase of the grinding particle size, and decreases with the increase of ball-to-powder ratio. A ball-to-powder ratio greater than 6 gradually reduces its influence on fractal dimensions, and the final shape dimension lies between 1.06 and 1.16. In addition, the increase/decrease range of particle size and shape fractal dimension decreases with the increase of ball milling time, which is also consistent with the grinding kinetics theory. As a result of the changes in particle size and shape fractal dimensions, parameters such as jaw crusher discharge port width, grinding particle size, and ball-to-powder ratio are calculated to provide a theoretical basis for the entire crushing process in the "jaw crusher-ball milling" crushing process.

Fractal image analysis and bruise damage evaluation of impact damage in guava

Impact bruise damage and quality of ‘Gim Ju’ guava were investigated for different drop heights and number of drops using fractal image analysis. For the impact test, a stainless-steel metal ball (250 g) was dropped on fruit from three drop heights (0, 0.3, 0.6 m) either once or five times. Fruit quality was evaluated for impact energy, bruise area (BA), bruise volume (BV), bruise susceptibility, bruise score and pulp color (L*, a*, b* and C values). The fractal dimension (FD) value using fractal image analysis was analyzed at the bruise region. Results showed that five drops (0.3 m) with a high impact energy (3 678.75 J) and a single drop (0.6 m) with a low impact energy (1 471.50 J) exhibited no significant in BA, BV, bruise score as well as all color values (L*, a*, b* and C). While the FD value of a single drop from 0.6 m had a higher FD value than that of five drops from 0.3 m. It is indicated that FD exhibited a better performance to classify impact bruising level of guava than BA, BV and color parameters. The FD value gradually decreased with increase of storage time and bruise severity. The correlation coefficient (r) values of FD (r = − 0.794 and − 0.745) between BA and BV were more significant than those L* (r = − 0.660 and − 0.615) and a* (r = 0.579 and 0.473). The coefficient of determination (R2) of the polynomial equation in bruised fruit (R2 = 0.85 to 0.99) was greater than the control (no bruise) (R2 = 0.80). A higher R2val (0.88 and 0.92) was exhibited at five drops. Interestingly, FD analysis showed greater potential than color measurement to assess bruise impact damage in guava.

Evaluation of the effect of antiepileptic drugs on mandibular bone quality by fractal analysis.

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used to control seizures in epilepsy and their long-term use is common. AED use has been associated with decreased bone mineral density. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of AEDs on mandibular bone quality using fractal analysis and panoramic morphometric indices. In this study, dental and medical records of 132 patients (66 AED users and 66 control group) were used. Fractal analysis (FA), the panoramic mandibular index (PMI), mandibular cortical width (MCW), and Klemetti index (KI) measurements were performed on panoramic radiographs. In all metrics, the mean values of the study group were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.000). There is a statistically significant difference between the study and control groups in terms of KI distribution (p < 0.000). The mean fractal dimension (FD) values in each measured region of the female patients in the study group were found to be significantly lower than the female patients in the control group (p < 0.05). The mean FD values measured in ROI-2 and ROI-3 of male patients in the study group were found to be significantly lower than male patients in the control group (p < 0.05). The side effects of AEDs on bone metabolism were shown in this study. Dentists examining patients with epilepsy should be careful about osteoporotic changes in the jaws.

Radiomorphometric indices and fractal dimension of the mandible in individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta: a matched cross-sectional study

The objective was to analyze radiomorphometric indices (RMIs) of mandibular cortical bone and fractal dimension (FD) of trabecular bone of individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and compare the findings to those of individuals without OI. Digital panoramic radiographs of 20 individuals with OI (case group) and 40 individuals without OI (control group) were examined. The RMIs of mandibular cortical index (MCI) and mandibular cortical thickness (MCT) were analyzed. FD of mandibular trabecular bone was calculated bilaterally in 3 regions. The chi-squared test and paired t test were used to compare the significance of differences between the groups. The effect size and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) were also determined. Significance was established at P < .05. Categories C2 and C3 of the MCI were more frequent in individuals with OI (P < .001). The Mean MCT was 2.08 ± 0.79 in the OI case group and 2.91 ± 0.60 in the control group (P < .001). Mean FD in the condylar region was significantly lower in the OI case group (P=.002). The effect size for these 2 measures was large, and the difference between groups was greater than the MCID. Radiographs of individuals with OI exhibited more porosity and diminished thickness of the mandibular cortical bone and lower FD values in the condylar trabecular bone.