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Bridging Physics-Based Modeling And Machine Learning To Predict Material Behavior: Applications In Fatigue Crack Growth And Dielectric Property Characterization, Ansan Pokharel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation integrates physics-based modeling with machine learning (ML) to predict how materials behave under complex thermal and mechanical conditions. A key innovation of this work is the use of finite element analysis (FEA) to supplement experimental data. This approach creates more diverse and representative synthetic datasets, helping to reduce the limitations and biases that arise when training ML models solely on experimental measurements. The research focuses on two applications: improving the prediction of fatigue properties in superalloys and estimating temperature-dependent, high-frequency dielectric properties relevant to microwave-based chemical processing.

In the first study, low-cycle fatigue experiments were performed on the …

A Prospective Analysis Of Success And Survival Of Haptic Robotically Driven Dental Implant Placement., Samuel Clarkman Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose: The aim of this prospective study was to assess survivability of dental implants placed using robotic computer aided implant surgery via Yomi® (Neocis, Inc. Miami, FL) after at least 1 year of functional loading. Secondary analysis included additional success and marginal bone loss outcomes after at least 1 year of functional loading of the same Straumann (Basel, Switzerland) titanium dental implants that were placed with the r-CAIS workflow. Materials and Methods: Since acquisition of the Yomi® robotic system, a comprehensive list of patients who underwent dental implant therapy via r-CAIS methodology at West Virginia University Department of Graduate Periodontics …

Using Side Looking Hydroacoustics And Community Size Spectra To Assess Invasive Carp’S Impact On Fish Assemblage Integrity, Daniel Jacob Bryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Often accounting for over half of total fish biomass, invasive silver carp have dramatically reshaped the ecosystem of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. These high silver carp densities have been shown to affect native fish body condition, abundance, and community structure, highlighting the need for efficient methods to quantify silver carp’s effect on the native fish assemblage. Community size spectra (CSS) is a metric that quantifies fish assemblage body size structure based on the decrease in fish abundance with increasing size. To estimate silver carp’s effects on CSS in the Ohio River, side looking hydroacoustic monitoring was used alongside …

Utilizing Plethodontid Occupancy To Assess Initial Ecosystem Responses To Invasive Plant Control Treatment In The Central Hardwoods, Maree Guinevere Dieterich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Invasive plants are a growing concern for land managers, impacting ecosystem resilience and outcompeting native vegetation. To combat this, invasive plant control treatments can assist in reducing the impacts and spread of damaging, non-native plant species. However, intensive treatments completed at large scales have the potential to negatively impact ecosystem services as well. To monitor these impacts, I utilized a well-known indicator in the Central Applachian region, Plethodontid salamanders, to assess impacts of invasive plant control treatments in the Central Hardwood forests. I completed 12 visual samples across 60 sites in West Virginia, USA during Spring and Fall of 2025 …

Teaching Evolution After Kennedy And Mahmoud, Alexander Gouzoules

Faculty Publications

One of the longest running disputes at the intersection of education law and the First Amendment has involved conflict over evolutionary biology in American public schools. Through a century of nearly continuous litigation, creationist legislation and parental demands to exempt students from science instruction have been constrained by longstanding First Amendment doctrines.

That settlement is now unraveling. In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court abandoned its prior approach to the Establishment Clause in favor of a history-and-tradition analysis that is ill-suited to questions about modern scientific education. And in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Court held that students' compulsory …

A Front-End Analysis Of Teacher Retention At A High Poverty K-5 Public School, Nicole Gray

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the experiences of educators impacted by teacher retention issues at a high-poverty K-5 public school. Researchers have studied the decline in individuals entering into the education profession as well as the high rates of individuals exiting the profession. With individuals leaving the profession at high rates, and not enough entering to replace those that are leaving, there is now a massive shortage with not enough teachers to meet the needs of students in public schools. The few individuals that are entering into the profession are not being retained, especially at high-poverty schools. This study explored the thoughts …

The Structure, Dynamics, And Impact Of An Interbacterial Weapon Encoded By Human Gut Bacteria, Casey John Latario

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The human gut is densely colonized by diverse bacteria. Over a human’s growth, the GI tract becomes a dynamic community that is subjected to a continual in-flow of nutrients and would-be colonizers and an out-flow of microbes and waste products. Despite these dynamics, the bacterial community often displays stability, with particular strains persisting over decades. These stable colonizers have evolved mechanisms to bolster their colonization, resist disruption by other microbes, and persist through environmental flux.

Both interbacterial competition and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) contribute to colonization and survival within the GI tract. A major mechanism for interbacterial competition is the …

Black Ecological Care: Conservation, Environmental Justice, And Sovereignty In Baltimore, Maryland, Alexandria Nicole Casteel

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Dominant traditions of urban planning, municipal policy, and environmental science register Black urban spaces through a vocabulary of pathology, as sites of ecological deficit, contamination, and social decay. This dissertation investigates how Black communities in U.S. cities attend to the environment in ways that address legacies of environmental and social injustice while opening pathways toward different environmental futures. I gather these practices under the analytic of Black ecological care, which captures the generative labor of making and maintaining livable worlds within, alongside, and beyond histories of harm. I develop the analytic across twenty-nine months of ethnographic fieldwork in 2021 and …

The Influence Of Metacognition On College Readiness And Persistence, Michael L. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation examined the influence that metacognition has on college readiness and its most traditionally used metrics: performance-based outcomes and persistence. Specifically, this study addressed to what degree underlying metacognitive structures differ between college students’ successful metrics of performance and persistence compared to a more general sample of college students.

The research characterized metacognition along three domains of analysis: (a) selfefficacy/ motivation, (b) soft skills/psychological capital (Psycap), and (c) expected value of control (EVC). The quantitative study included 54 college students and a crosssectional design. Participants completed a four-part Likert-style survey, where their responses were measured along the three …

Does Integrating Parental Involvement In Therapy Improve Behavior In Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?, Pamela Lassiter

Theses and Dissertations

The research problem was the lower success rate of interventions for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of the exclusion of parents in the counseling process. The purpose of the research was to explore if integrating parent involvement in therapy improved the behaviors in children with ADHD. The study occurred at a private mental health facility that used cognitive behavior therapy and behavior interventions with the children.

The study was guided by the phenomenological qualitative research design. Ten single parents of male children, ages 4 to 10 with ADHD, participated in this study. Parents were selected using a …

Journal Of Dental Sciences Editorial Board

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Condylar Position Displacement Using Various Centric Relation Recording Techniques Based On Maximum Intercuspation Position: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Ling-Shiuan Huang, Yen-Chang Huang, I-Ting Wu, Shinn-Jyh Ding

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/ purpose: Restoring tooth defects is a key clinical task for dentists, aimed at either maintaining or reconstructing a functional occlusal dentition. This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials comparing centric relation (CR) and maximum intercuspal position (MIP) condylar positions obtained using various CR techniques, and to verify the reproducibility of these methods.

Materials and methods: The PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published before January 2026. The single-arm meta-analysis used a random-effects model to calculate the overall effect size.

Results: This study included 12 articles published …

Efficacy Of Cryotherapy For Oral Leukoplakia: A Systematic Review, Chuan-Hang Yu, Tzu-Chen Chan, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Oral leukoplakia (OL) is the most common oral potentially malignant disorder and carries a risk of malignant transformation. Cryotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment option for OL, but its efficacy and optimal dose-response remain inconsistent among various studies. This systematic review evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of cryotherapy for OL lesions and explored whether the characteristics of the lesions and treatment parameters influenced clinical outcomes. Electronic searches were performed in Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Seven studies reporting original clinical outcomes of …

Epigallocatechin Gallate In Dentistry: Therapeutic Applications, Biomaterial Integration, And Translational Challenges, Chloe Jui-Yun Chang, Fang-Yu Fan, Yung-Li Wang, Thi Thuy Tien Vo, Yang-Che Wu, Yu-Chia Chang, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major bioactive catechin in green tea, has attracted increasing attention in dentistry because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, matrix-modulating, and regenerative properties. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the biological mechanisms, dental applications, and translational challenges of EGCG in oral healthcare. EGCG can modulate oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1), and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-related responses, and has activity against oral disease-associated microorganisms and biofilms. In periodontal therapy, EGCG has been investigated as an adjunct …

The Leeuwenhoek Paradox In Dental Artificial Intelligence: A Narrative Review Of Artificial Intelligence-Detected Subclinical Periapical Changes And Human-Labeled False Positives, Etyene Schnurr, Mario Parra, David M. Kim

Journal of Dental Sciences

This narrative review explores the “Leeuwenhoek Paradox,” a metaphorical and conceptual challenge that arises when artificial intelligence (AI) detects subtle periapical radiological changes that are not visible to human observers. Drawing on evidence from studies using two-dimensional and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging, this review critically examined the limitations of human-centered reference standards and recurrent discrepancies in AI-based periapical detection. The literature shows that AI systems frequently detect more periapical alterations than human experts. These findings may reflect early bone changes, as indicated by CBCT-based analyses of bone density and longitudinal observations. The paradox arises because AI identifies subclinical radiographic …

Higher Serum Gastric Parietal Cell Antibody Titers Are Associated With Increased Frequencies Of Macrocytosis, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, And Hyperhomocysteinemia In Patients With Oral Lichen Planus, Yu-Hsueh Wu, Yi-Pang Lee, Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Yi-Ping Wang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Our previous study found 139 gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA)-positive oral lichen planus (OLP) patients (GPCA⁺OLP patients) in a group of 588 OLP patients. This study evaluated whether higher-titer (serum GPCA titer ≥ 160) GPCA⁺OLP patients had greater frequencies of macrocytosis, anemia, serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than lower-titer (GPCA titer ≤ 80) GPCA⁺OLP patients or 588 healthy control subjects.

Materials and methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 53 higher-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, 86 lower-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, and …

Oral Pathogens Reprogram Endothelial Barrier And Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme2/Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase-Nitric Oxide Signaling To Promote Blood Pressure Dysregulation, Ming-Shou Hsieh, Tung-Nien Hsu, Chin-Sheng Huang, Ting-Yi Renn, Kuang-Tai Kuo, Kuo-Yao Lin, Wei Jen Chang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Although periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, the endothelial mechanisms linking oral inflammation to vascular dysfunction remain unclear. We investigated whether Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) can directly disturb endothelial homeostasis and whether macrophage–endothelial crosstalk further worsens endothelial injury.

Materials and methods: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to Pg-LPS alone or co-cultured (transwell system) with Pg-LPS-primed human monocytic cells -derived macrophages. Endothelial dysfunction was assessed through nitric oxide (NO) production, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation, inflammatory and adhesion molecule expression, as well as junctional and cytoskeletal changes. Macrophage …

Dental Age–Based Assessment Of Retromolar Morphology In Skeletal Class Iii Patients: Implications For Mandibular Third Molar Development, Thuy-Trang Thi Ho, Tu Manh Nguyen, Loc Minh Lu, Fang-Yu Fan, Ying-Sui Sun, Yang-Che Wu, Sheng-Wei Feng, Chien-Fu Tseng, Pao-Chang Chiang, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: In skeletal Class III malocclusion, evaluation of mandibular third molar development is clinically important for orthodontic treatment planning, particularly in relation to posterior space conditions. This study aimed to assess the association between dental age of mandibular third molars and retromolar morphological characteristics in skeletal Class III patients.

Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included panoramic radiographs from 157 patients diagnosed with skeletal Class III malocclusion based on clinical examination and lateral cephalometric analysis. Mandibular third molar development was evaluated using Demirjian mineralization stages (D–H), representing stages from crown completion to root maturation. Retromolar morphology was evaluated …

Endothelin-1 Drives Cyclooxygenase-2 And Prostaglandin E2 Expression In Osteoblasts Through Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase And Activator Protein-1 Signaling During Periodontal Inflammation, Fang-Yu Fan, Thi Thuy Tien Vo, Hsuan Kuo, Chien-Fu Tseng, Wei-Ning Lin, Chia-Yu Wu, Yang-Che Wu, Chuen-Mao Yang, Li-Der Hsiao, I-Ta Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in inflammatory tissue responses, but its role in osteoblast-mediated inflammation during periodontal inflammation remains unclear. This study investigated whether ET-1 induces cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) release in osteoblasts and explored the underlying signaling mechanisms.

Materials and methods: Murine osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were stimulated with ET-1. COX-2 protein and mRNA expression, promoter activity, and PGE₂ release were assessed by Western blotting, real-time RT-PCR, luciferase reporter assay, and ELISA, respectively. Pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA knockdown were used to examine the roles of ET_A/ET_B receptors, G_{q …}

Isoliquiritigenin Represses The Pro-Fibrotic Tgf-Β/Smad2 Signaling And Nuclear Enriched Abundant Transcript 1 (Neat1) In Oral Submucous Fibrosis, Chi-Shan Tseng, Shih-Min Wang, Yi-Wen Liao, Her-Hsiung Huang, Cheng-Chia Yu, Yicyuan Chen

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) has shown anti-fibrotic potential in several organ systems, but its effects on oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) remain unclear. This study investigated whether ISL attenuates myofibroblast activities in buccal mucosal fibroblasts (BMFs) from OSF patients by modulating TGF-β/Smad2 signaling and the long non-coding RNA NEAT1.

Materials and methods: Primary normal BMFs and fibrotic BMFs (fBMFs) were isolated from human buccal mucosa, and cell viability, collagen gel contraction, migration, and wound closure were examined after ISL treatment with or without arecoline. TGF-β1 secretion was quantified, while protein expression of phosphorylated Smad2, COL1A1, and α-SMA was analyzed, and …

Dual-Layer Biphasic Calcium Phosphates/Tantalum Pentoxide Coating On Titanium For Concurrent Biocorrosion Resistance And Enhanced Biocompatibility, Ying-Sui Sun, Kai-Yi Lin, Wei-Cheng Chen, Her-Hsiung Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Titanium (Ti) dental implants must resist biocorrosion while maintaining biocompatibility. This study developed a dual-layer biphasic calcium phosphates/tantalum pentoxide (BCPs/Ta₂O₅) coating on Ti to improve both biocorrosion resistance and biological performance.

Materials and methods: A dense Ta₂O₅ inner layer was fabricated via a hydrolysis–condensation process to act as a corrosion barrier. Subsequently, a porous BCPs outer layer was deposited by electrochemical cathodic deposition to provide a bioactive interface. Surface morphology, functional groups, crystalline structure, wettability, surface free energy, coating thickness and nanostructure, protein adsorption, and in vitro bioactivity were characterized. Biocorrosion behavior was evaluated using polarization curve measurements in …

Developing Anti-Inflammatory Mineral Trioxide Aggregate As Dental Implant Crown Cement To Reduce Peri-Implantitis Incidence, Yung-Fu Hsu, Sea-Fue Wang, Yi-Le Liao, Chih-Sheng Lin, Ssu-Chi Chen, Sheng-Yang Lee, Wei-Chun Lin

Journal of Dental Sciences

背景/目的：牙周組織周圍的牙科樹脂黏固劑殘留是植體周圍炎的原因之一。嚴重病例可能導致植體鬆動或脫落。因此，本研究旨在對礦物三氧化物聚集體（MTA）進行改性，使其成為一種抗發炎的牙科植體冠黏固劑（ICC）。

材料與方法：本研究評估了去離子水溶液（Daq）、羥基磷灰石溶液（Haq）和氯化鈣溶液（Caq）對ICC凝固時間、抗壓強度、黏結強度和生物相容性的影響。以單因子變異數分析（ANOVA）檢定各實驗組間的差異（ P < 0.05）。

結果：表面微觀結構分析表明，添加Haq和Caq有助於ICC顆粒間的結合。表面元素分析表明，添加Haq增加了Ca離子含量。凝固時間結果表明，與Daq相比，Caq和Haq分別使最終凝固時間縮短了46.5%和34.7%（ P < 0.05）。 Caq的抗壓強度分別比Daq和Haq高35.1%和13.4%（ P < 0.05）。三種ICC組的黏接強度結果表明，樹脂黏接劑的效果相同（ P > 0.05）。生物相容性和清除活性測試表明，ICC優於樹脂黏接劑。

結論： ICC與Caq合併使用可縮短凝固時間、提高抗壓強度、增強生物相容性並降低發炎發生的可能性。因此，ICC與Caq聯合使用可作為牙科樹脂黏固劑的替代方案。

Antisense Oligonucleotides-Mediated Rescue Of The Amelx Splicing Defects, Eui-Sic Cho, Youn Jung Kim, Figen Seymen, Mine Koruyucu, Jan C.-C. Hu, James P. Simmer, Jung-Wook Kim

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a group of rare, inherited disorders characterized by abnormal enamel formation. While identifying the genes and mutations that cause the disease is important, understanding its molecular pathogenesis is essential to developing precision and personalized medicine, which aim to stop disease onset, slow its progression, and provide a range of treatment options. Previously, we identified mutations that affect the conserved alternative splicing of the AMELX gene, leading to the inclusion of normally skipped exon 4 and resulting in a characteristic AI phenotype.

Materials and methods: HEK293 cells were grown on cell culture dishes …

Biomechanical Effects Of Titanium Alloy Removable Partial Denture Framework Designs Fabricated By Selective Laser Melting In Mandibular Kennedy Class Ii Partial Edentulism: A Finite Element Study, Min-Chieh Chang, Ping-Ching Wu, Wei-Shao Lin, Yung-Chung Chen

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: The biomechanical effects of framework design and material interactions in mandibular free-end saddle removable partial dentures remain unclear. This study evaluated framework variables using finite element analysis.

Materials and methods: A mandibular Kennedy Class II model was digitized to create a cobalt-chromium (CoCr) and sixteen Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) frameworks varying by major connector dimension, clasp configuration, and lingual reciprocal assembly (LRA). Periodontal ligament (PDL) and mucosa layers were incorporated. Contacts were defined, and materials were assumed homogeneous and isotropic. Vertical and oblique loads were applied, and von Mises stresses were analyzed. Model validation was performed using digital image correlation. …

N-Acetylcysteine Restores Osteogenesis In Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells By Attenuating Hif-1Α-Driven Oxidative Stress And Glycolytic Reprogramming, Xiaochi Chang, Yanghao Zhao, Yang Wang, Chang Shu, Yi Feng, Yichong Sun, Guangxun Zhu, Jianxia Hou

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Periodontitis-associated hypoxia signaling and oxidative stress severely impair the regenerative capacity of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). This study investigated whether antioxidant intervention rescues hPDLSC osteogenesis under CoCl₂-induced HIF-1α stabilization by modulating PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α/HO-1 signaling and glycolytic reprogramming.

Materials and methods: Primary hPDLSCs isolated from healthy premolars were characterized by flow cytometry and multilineage differentiation. To simulate periodontitis-associated stress, a CoCl₂-induced HIF-1α-stabilizing condition was established. Cells were treated with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), or the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Redox balance (DCFH-DA, MDA, GPX activity), glycolysis-related markers (HK2, GLUT1, lactate), and osteogenic-related markers …

Quantitative Cbct Assessment Of Anterior Loop Safety Margins Using Canine-Guided Osteotomy Designs For Chin Bone Harvesting., Han-Sheng Chen, Kun-Jung Hsu, Hsiu-Yueh Liu, Hui-Na Lee, Chun-Ming Chen

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Chin bone harvesting is a common intraoral grafting procedure but carries a risk of neurosensory complications involving the mental foramen (MF), anterior loop (AL), and mandibular incisive canal (MIC). Present study quantitatively evaluated whether the mandibular canine can serve as a safer and more reproducible landmark for chin bone harvesting.

Materials and methods: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans from 40 adults were analyzed. The mandibular canine distal angle (CDA) and canine long axis (CLA) were used as reference lines. Measurements included AL-MF length, distances from the CLA to the MF and AL, interMF distance (IntMF), interAL distance (IntAL), interCLA …

Performance Of Chatgpt-4, Gemini, And Deepseek-V3 On English-Translated Questions From The Taiwan National Dental Technician Licensing Examination Over A Three-Week Period, Yi-Pang Lee, Ching-Yi Huang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Large language models (LLMs) have shown potential in answering professional examination questions. This study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and DeepSeek-V3 in answering English-translated questions from the 2023 Taiwan National Dental Technician Licensing Examination (TNDTLE) over a three-week period.

Materials and methods: A total of 194 English-translated, text-based multiple-choice questions were selected from the 2023 TNDTLE. ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and DeepSeek-V3 were used to answer the same set of English-translated questions at four time points: baseline and one-, two-, and three-week follow-ups. Accuracy rates (ARs) were calculated and compared to evaluate changes over time and differences among the three …

A Comprehensive Analysis And Sex-Related Differences In Root And Root Canal Anatomy In The Taiwanese Population, Ho-Sheng Chiang, Wei-Cheng Lee, Ying-Wu Chen, Ling-Yu Kung, Kuei-Yuan Chen, Ren-Yeong Huang, Yi-Shing Shieh, Yu-Chiao Wu

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Root canal morphology exhibits substantial anatomical variation influenced by ethnicity and sex, which may complicate endodontic treatment if unrecognized. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate root and root canal configurations in a Taiwanese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to investigate sex-related differences in canal anatomy.

Materials and methods: CBCT scans from 802 patients treated between 2022 and 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 18,578 teeth met the inclusion criteria. Root canal configurations were assessed for every root using Vertucci’s classification, and C-shaped canals were further categorized based on morphology. Sex-related differences were analyzed using chi-square tests. …

Performance Of Chatgpt-4, Gemini, And Deepseek-V3 In Answering The Prompt-Engineered Questions From The Taiwan National Dental Technician Licensing Examination Over A Three-Week Period, Yi-Pang Lee, Ching-Yi Huang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Large language models (LLMs) have shown promise in answering professional examination questions. This study evaluated the performance of ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and DeepSeek-V3 in answering prompt-engineered questions selected from the 2023 Taiwan National Dental Technician Licensing Examination (TNDTLE) over a three-week period.

Materials and methods: A total of 194 Chinese-language text-based multiple-choice questions were selected from the 2023 TNDTLE. The three LLMs answered these questions using a standardized prompt referring to 17 dental technology textbooks. Accuracy rates (ARs) were recorded at baseline and after one, two, and three weeks. Comparisons of ARs over time, among three LLMs, between basic and …

Ensemble Learning For Predicting Periapical Lesions From Dental Radiographs, Fang-Yuan Liao, Ming-Jyun Jian, Abdullah Sarini, Yulianto Jesica, Yen-Kun Lin, Hsun-Yu Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Diagnosing periapical cysts and granulomas using periapical radiographs is challenging due to subtle radiographic differences. This study aimed to develop a machine learning–based diagnostic framework to improve lesion classification through ensemble learning and dentin standardization.

Materials and methods: Five models—Support Vector Classifier (SVC), Nu-SVC, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Decision Tree—were trained on 144 pre-treatment periapical radiographs (70 cysts and 74 granulomas). Dentin standardization normalized grayscale values to ensure feature consistency. A weighted soft voting strategy was employed to integrate predictions, with model weights derived from individual diagnostic performance. Model performance was evaluated via five-fold cross-validation. Statistical significance among models …