Choosing the Optimal Tissue Expander Size: A Single Center Randomized Clinical Trial on Chinese Microtia Patients’ Normal Ears Using 3D Scanning

The tissue expansion technique is the most suitable procedure for Chinese patients with microtia. However, it is difficult to determine whether the expanded flap is sufficient, and there are no clear or objective guidelines for determining the volume of the expander for different sizes of auricles. One hundred patients with unilateral microtia who visited our department in 2021 were randomly selected for auricular data collection using 3D scanning. The auricle length, width, projection, perimeter, and surface area were measured. Eight different volumes of expanders underwent CT and the surface areas of these expanders were measured. The surface areas of the auricles and expanders were compared and the correlation between them was explored. The average auricle parameters were calculated. The scatter plot showed a linear relationship between auricle length and auricle surface area (R2 = 0.9913), which demonstrated that the auricle area was approximately equal to the auricle length multiplied by 76.921. Additionally, the surface area of the expanders was measured and made into a table for selection against the surface area of the auricles. Using our equation, the auricle surface could be estimated by simply measuring the non-defective auricle length; therefore, the suitable volume of the expander could be determined.

On The Efficiency of Almost Unbiased Mean Imputation When Population Mean of Auxiliary Variable is UnknownOn The Efficiency of Almost Unbiased Mean Imputation When Population Mean of Auxiliary Variable is Unknown

Human-assisted surveys, such as medical and social science surveys, are frequently plagued by non-response or missing observations. Several authors have devised different imputation algorithms to account for missing observations during analyses. Nonetheless, several of these imputation schemes' estimators are based on known population meanof auxiliary variable. In this paper, a new class of almost unbiased imputation method that uses as an estimate of is suggested. Using the Taylor series expansion technique, the MSE of the class of estimators presented was derived up to first order approximation. Conditions were also specified for which the new estimators were more efficient than the other estimators studied in the study. The results of numerical examples through simulations revealed that the suggested class of estimators is more efficient.

Laser beam guiding in partially stripped magnetized quantum plasma

Relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities arising by the passage of a linearly polarized laser beam through a partially stripped magnetized quantum plasma are analyzed. The interaction formalism has been developed using the recently developed quantum hydrodynamic model. The effects associated with the Fermi pressure, quantum Bohm potential and electron spin have been incorporated. A nonparaxial, non-linear wave equation has been obtained by the use of source dependent expansion technique and spot size has been evaluated. The nonlinear relativistic self-focusing tends to focus the beam while the ponderomotive nonlinearity tends to defocus. The effect of magnetization and quantum effects on the spot size and the beam power have been studied.

Short-Term Evaluation of Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Thin Wiry Ridge by Ridge Splitting and Simultaneous Implants Placement: Non-randomized Control Trial

Objective This article evaluates the success of prosthetic rehabilitation of thin wiry ridge and implants placed simultaneously in splitted ridge both clinically and radiographically. Materials and Methods Twenty-one participants were enrolled of which 13 patients (8 females and 5 males) were suffering from maxillary ridge atrophy and 8 patients (5 females and 3 males) had mandibular ridge atrophy; a total of 42 implants were performed using the ridge expansion technique. The expansion was performed using the conventional disk technique, piezoelectric corticotomy, and self-threading expanders. Implants were placed and loaded with fixed partial denture after 4 months for the mandible and 6 months for the maxilla. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) was measured at T0 (implant placement) and TL (loading). Crestal bone levels were measured at different times: T0, TL, and T12 (12 months). Evaluation of prosthetic and surgical complications was carried out. Data were analyzed and compared using analysis of variance and paired t-tests at a significance level of 5%. Results All implants met the criteria for success. All implants showed a higher mean bone loss from T0 to TL (1.259 ± 0.3020) than from TL to T12 (0.505 ± 0.163) with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). ISQ values sharply increased at the time of loading (72.52 ± 2.734) than at implant insertion (44.5 ± 4.062) with a significant difference (p < 0.0001). Minor prosthetic and surgical complications were reported. Conclusion The results from this study support the efficacy of prosthetic rehabilitation of thin wiry ridge using split ridge technique and the success of implants placed simultaneously in splitted ridge.

The New Solitary Solutions to the Time-Fractional Coupled Jaulent–Miodek Equation

Here, two applicable methods, namely, the tan θ / 2 -expansion technique and modified exp − θ ξ -expansion technique are being applied on the time-fractional coupled Jaulent–Miodek equation. Materials such as photovoltaic-photorefractive, polymer, and organic contain spatial solitons and optical nonlinearities, which can be identified by seeking from energy-dependent Schrödinger potential. Plentiful exact traveling wave solutions containing unknown values are constructed in the sense of trigonometric, hyperbolic, exponential, and rational functions. Different arbitrary constants acquired in the solutions help us to discuss the dynamical behavior of solutions. Moreover, the graphical representation of solutions is shown vigorously in order to visualize the behavior of the solutions acquired for the mentioned equation. We obtain some periodic, dark soliton, and singular-kink wave solutions which have considerably fortified the existing literature on the time-fractional coupled Jaulent–Miodek equation. Via three-dimensional plot, density plot, and two-dimensional plot by utilizing Maple software, the physical properties of these waves are explained very well.

Exponential-Ratio-Type Imputation Class of Estimators using Nonconventional Robust Measures of Dispersions

Human-assisted surveys, such as medical and social science surveys, are frequently plagued by non-response or missing observations. Several authors have devised different imputation algorithms to account for missing observations during analyses. Nonetheless, several of these imputation schemes' estimators are based on known auxiliary variable parameters that can be influenced by outliers. In this paper, we suggested new classes of exponential-ratio-type imputation method that uses parameters that are robust against outliers. Using the Taylor series expansion technique, the MSE of the class of estimators presented was derived up to first order approximation. Conditions were also specified for which the new estimators were more efficient than the other estimators studied in the study. The results of numerical examples through simulations revealed that the suggested class of estimators is more efficient.

A 24 month follow-up of refractory macular holes treated with an autologous transplantation of internal limiting membrane versus retina expansion technique

Background To compare the functional and anatomic outcomes at 24 months of eyes with a primary macular hole that failed to close after a prior surgery and were treated with either an autologous transplantation of internal limiting membrane (AT-ILM) or the retina expansion (RE) technique. Methods Retrospective, single center, comparative study of 28 eyes with a macular hole that failed to close after a prior vitrectomy. All eyes had a size of ≥ 500 μm. Participants were divided into two groups according to the type of intervention performed: AT-ILM group (n = 14) and RE group (n = 14). Main outcomes measured were the MH closure rate assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 24 months after surgery. Results Patients in the AT-ILM group experienced a statistically significantly improved post-operative BCVA (median 49.50 letters, range 20–66 letters) over the pre-operative BCVA (median 39 letters, range 18–52 letters) (p-value = 0.006 Wilcoxon paired sample test). In contrast, patients in the RE group did not achieve a statistically significant improvement (p-value = 0.328, Wilcoxon paired sample test). The median pre-operative BCVA was 35 letters (range 18–52 letters), whereas the median post-operative BCVA was 39 letters (range 16–66 letters). At 24 months of follow-up, 85.7% of patients in the AT-ILM group achieved closure compared to 57.1% in the RE group (p-value = 0.209, Fisher’s exact test). Multivariate analysis showed that MH size and baseline BCVA were important determinants of post-operative BCVA. The baseline MH size was the only significant pre-operative factor that influenced MH closure. Conclusions This study demonstrates similar closure rates for both groups however better visual outcomes were obtained with the AT-ILM.