BACKGROUND:Laser procedures are integral to dermatologic practice, yet safety measures- particularly regarding ocular protection and plume control- are poorly studied in real-world settings. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate current practices in eye protection, infection control, and occupational risk awareness among Korean dermatologists performing laser treatments. METHODS:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among board-certified dermatologists at the 2024 Korean Society for Dermatologic Laser Surgery meeting. The questionnaire covered demographics, laser frequency, use of goggles and masks, infection control strategies, ophthalmologic monitoring, and history of warts or cancer. RESULTS:Seventy-nine respondents completed the survey. All reported using protective goggles, but only 26.6% and 22.8% did so for CO₂ and erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet lasers, respectively. Only 24.1% underwent regular eye exams, and 13.9% reported eye conditions after starting laser practice. While 89.9% used masks, 40.8% used dental masks, which are inadequate for plume protection. Suction devices were used by 94.9%, though performance specifications were unclear. Warts were reported by 46.8% of respondents; two reported cancer diagnoses after initiating laser work. CONCLUSION:Despite high overall adherence to basic safety practices, critical gaps remain. Our findings highlight the need for standardized guidelines and long-term occupational health monitoring to ensure safe laser practice.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of bioactive glass-containing self-adhesive resin cements (SARCs) on human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), focusing on cytocompatibility, odontogenic differentiation, and mineralization. Experimental SARCs containing 0-5 wt% BAG (BG0-BG5) were compared with two commercially available SARCs, RelyX U200 and TheraCem. Eluates were prepared and applied to DPSCs for the methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence (IF) staining, and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining. The result showed there were no significant differences in cell viability across all groups (p > 0.05), indicating that the addition of BAG did not affect cell viability, while the early odontogenic differentiation markers, such as RUNX2, ALP, and COL1A1, showed no clear trend among the groups. However, late-stage markers (DMP-1 and DSPP) were significantly higher in the BG2-BG5 groups relative to the OM group (p < 0.05). IF staining revealed intense signals in the BG2-BG5 groups (p < 0.05) and also ARS staining showed a time-dependent increase in mineral deposition. Within the limitations of this study, BAG-containing SARCs do not negatively impact cytocompatibility and promote late-stage odontogenic differentiation and mineral deposition.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:The role of IV thrombolysis before endovascular thrombectomy (bridging thrombectomy, BT) in posterior circulation large-vessel occlusion stroke remains uncertain. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of BT compared with direct thrombectomy (DT) using data from 2 nationwide registries and an updated meta-analysis. METHODS:Patients from collaborative registries in Taiwan and South Korea who underwent thrombectomy for vertebral, basilar, and posterior cerebral artery occlusions were included. This observational study included hospital-based registry data with standardized collection of treatments and outcomes. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust for baseline differences between BT and DT groups. Outcomes included 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, mortality, successful reperfusion, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). We also performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies comparing BT vs DT in posterior circulation large-vessel occlusion stroke. RESULTS:Among the combined 9,942 patients, 873 (median age 71, 32% female) who underwent thrombectomy for posterior circulation stroke were analyzed. Of them, 281 received BT and 592 received DT. BT was associated with a lower 90-day mRS score (median 3 vs 4; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.44 per 1-point improvement, 95% CI 1.09-1.91) and lower mortality (17.4% vs 26.9%; adjusted OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33-0.81). The proportions of successful reperfusion (79.3% vs 81.1%) and sICH (2.5% vs 2.9%) were comparable. In propensity score-matched cohorts (n = 205 each), BT remained associated with better functional outcomes (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.00-2.07) and reduced mortality (matched OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.78). The meta-analysis, which included 39 studies and 7,288 patients, confirmed that BT was associated with higher odds of achieving 90-day mRS score 0-2 (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.28-1.94), 90-day mRS score 0-3 (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.05-1.68), and lower mortality (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61-0.97), without an increased risk of sICH (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.71-1.44). DISCUSSION:BT was associated with better 90-day functional outcomes and lower mortality, without increasing hemorrhagic risk in posterior circulation large-vessel occlusion stroke. These findings support the use of BT in eligible patients, pending further validation from randomized trials. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE:This study provides Class III evidence that in patients with posterior circulation stroke undergoing thrombectomy, previous IV thrombolysis is associated with better 90-day functional outcomes and lower mortality without increasing hemorrhagic risk.
Information about recently introduced calcium silicate-based materials and their bond performance to coronal dentin after adhesive exposure is limited. The aim of this study was to determine whether dentin adhesive applied 1 h or 3 days after placing calcium silicate-based materials adversely affects their push-out bond strength (POBS) to dentin. TheraCal PT (TC) and three premixed-type calcium silicate-based cements (CSBCs) ̶ Endocem MTA Premixed Heavy (EC), One-Fil Putty (OF), and BC Universal RRM (RM) ̶ were tested. Two coronal dentin discs with a thickness of 1 mm were obtained from each of 23 extracted human molars. The final total was 45 discs after excluding one that was damaged during preparation. Four cylindrical cavities were drilled in each dentin disc. The cavities of all dentin discs were filled with four calcium silicate-based materials, then grouped according to dentin adhesive application timing as early, delayed, or no adhesive (control). Prime Bond Universal dentin adhesive was applied above the calcium silicate-based material after 1 h (early) and 3 days (delayed), respectively. After 7 days, POBS was measured with a universal testing machine. Five additional specimens were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis tests with Bonferroni post-hoc correction (α = 0.05). Adhesive application at 1 h after premixed CSBC placement significantly reduced the POBS of EC compared with the control (P < 0.05). The POBS of TC remained high regardless of adhesive application. The SEM-EDS findings revealed dense polygonal crystalline structures in the control, whereas the delayed group had a mixture of these crystals and the adhesive layer. However, the adhesive penetrated the premixed-type CBSC, leaving visible filler particles on the surface of the early groups. Within the limitations of this experimental design, adhesive application 1 h after placing premixed CSBC adversely affected the 7-day POBS of EC. The POBS was higher for TheraCal PT than premixed-type CSBCs when evaluated using Prime Bond Universal in self-etch mode after storage for 7 days.
We compared single-modality models, intra-modality ensembles, and selective cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)–magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion for diagnosing temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA). This single-center retrospective cohort included 1598 patients (1118 females and 480 males; mean age ± SD, 37.88 ± 19.19 years), with patient-level splitting into training, validation, and test sets at a 60:20:20 ratio. Joint-level labels were defined using clinical and imaging criteria. Single models were trained using right/left CBCT views (sagittal and coronal) and MRI sequences (T2-weighted and proton density [PD]). We evaluated intra-modality ensembles (CBCT sagittal + coronal and MRI T2 + PD) and selective CBCT–MRI late fusion. DeLong tests were used to compare model performance, and Grad-CAM was used to assess explainability. In the full dataset, single CBCT models achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of 0.771 for sagittal views (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.732–0.807) and 0.787 for coronal views (95% CI 0.748–0.821). Single MRI models achieved AUROCs of 0.835 for T2-weighted images (95% CI 0.768–0.893) and 0.827 for PD images (95% CI 0.759–0.888), while the single combined-sequence MRI model achieved an AUROC of 0.881 (95% CI 0.836–0.913). Among the ensemble models, the MRI T2 + PD ensemble showed the highest performance (AUROC, 0.916; 95% CI 0.823–0.977), followed by the CBCT sagittal + coronal ensemble (AUROC, 0.832; 95% CI 0.781–0.881). Selective CBCT–MRI fusion improved performance compared with CBCT alone but did not surpass the best MRI ensemble. Findings were consistent across sex and age strata. Overall, MRI sequence aggregation provides a strong benchmark for TMJ-OA discrimination, whereas selective CBCT–MRI fusion may offer incremental value over CBCT-based models in selected pairings.
