One Function to Rule Them All: An R Shiny Application and R Script for Processing Measurement Data in Microscopic...

Area of Science:

• Paleopathology
• Bioarchaeology
• Human Osteology

Background:

• Microscopic analysis of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) requires significant data and objective methods.
• Current methods for identifying enamel defects can be time-consuming and prone to error.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an R script and R Shiny application for objective identification and analysis of LEH.
• To facilitate the calculation of age-at-defect using microscopic measurements.
• To standardize the analysis of enamel defects.

Main Methods:

• Development of a pre-built R script and R Shiny application.
• Utilizing LOWESS residuals to objectively define abnormally large perikymata indicative of LEH.
• Inclusion of example data from human incisors for demonstration.

Main Results:

• The R Shiny application facilitates objective identification of accentuated perikymata.
• The tool enables calculation of age-at-defect for individual teeth.
• Demonstrated application using historical human dental data.

Conclusions:

• The developed R code and application offer a standardized, efficient, and objective approach to LEH analysis.
• This tool aims to reduce analytical errors and encourage further research in enamel defect analysis.
• Open access to the code promotes future development and improvement of LEH research methods.