Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

J Mich Dent Assoc August 2022

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Monthly, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and feature articles to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists! In this August 2022 issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover story on choosing to partner with a Dental Service Organization (DSO)
• A conversation with three dentists on how and why they are involved with organized dentistry.
• A 10-Minute EBD on the efficacy of vacuum-formed removable orthodontic retainers
• News you need, an Editorial, a report from our ADA Trustee and regular department articles, Dentistry and …

Staff Matters: The Value Of Using Total Compensation Statements, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Amid the challenges of a competitive job market and employee retention, offering a comprehensive view of compensation is crucial. While employees often focus solely on their direct wages, they may overlook the value of indirect benefits like healthcare and paid time off. Employers can bridge this gap by providing total compensation statements detailing direct and indirect compensation, demonstrating their investment in employees. Such transparency builds trust and allows employees to assess their compensation relative to other employers better. Employers should ensure consistent calculations and pay equity and emphasize the purpose of sharing this information to foster a positive work culture.

Life In An Endemic Covid-19: Older Adults' Well-Being, Activity, And Perceptions, Rachel Ngu, Micah Tan, Jia Ying Low

ROSA Research Briefs

The current research brief provides a preliminary examination of whether older adults have been able to ‘return’ to the pre-pandemic way of life in an endemic COVID-19. To do this, we look at several key indicators, including (1) tracking older adults’ overall life satisfaction, activity levels, and trust in government over the past 3 years, (2) older adults’ confidence to resume activities, as well as subjective perceptions about their safety when leaving the home in an endemic COVID-19, and (3) older adults’ ability to adhere to the Home Recovery Program (HRP), where individuals with COVID-19 are able to recover from …

How Valuable Are Clinical Neuropsychological Assessments? A Meta-Analysis Of Neuropsychological Tests With Comparison To Common Medical Tests And Treatments, Murphy N. Harrell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

There has been a general decrease in neuropsychological assessments at a time when medical diagnostic technology and treatments have expanded, leading to a faulty assumption that medical tests and healthcare treatments provide more reliable or valid data than psychological assessments. A landmark report from the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Psychological Assessment Work Group (PAWG) found that validity coefficients for many psychological tests were indistinguishable from those of medical tests (Meyer et al., 2001). An updated systematic review of the advancement in neuropsychological testing is essential to the continued advancement of the value of neuropsychological assessment in healthcare. This meta-analysis sought …

Ada Trustee Report: Does The Ada Have A Long-Term Vision For Oral Health In America?, Michele Tulak-Gorecki Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This trustee report discusses the need for a long-term vision for oral health in America within the context of changing trends in dentistry. It highlights key questions related to evolving member value propositions, improving insurance coverage, expanding collaboration with primary care providers, and establishing dentistry as an essential part of the primary care system. A Board workgroup has been formed to explore potential actions and recommendations. The report underscores the importance of addressing these challenges. It encourages the dental profession to have meaningful conversations and work together to shape a future that aligns with new generations' evolving needs and expectations.

Running For Office 101, William Sullivan Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The pull-out section presents the MDA resources and support available from the MDA for members considering public service. It discusses the importance of having dentists in the Michigan Legislature and provides a guide to encourage dentists to run for public office. Running for public office is a significant decision, and the guide "Running for Office 101," offers information and insights for potential candidates.

Three New Dentists Talk About ‘Getting Involved’, Gabriel Holdwick Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Three new dentists discuss their involvement in organized dentistry and its impact on their professional growth. Dr. Sarah Tomaka and Dr. Danny Miller share their experiences with the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) and their engagement with various committees. They explain how these leadership roles have provided them with expanded networks, personal growth, and a platform to influence the dental profession. They emphasize that getting involved with MDA leadership is highly rewarding and encourage others to participate, suggesting the MDA's Leadership Exploration And Development (LEAD) program as a starting point. The article also provides information on ways to get involved with …

Histomonosis In Turkeys – Factors Influencing Transmission, Pathogenesis, And The Search For Prophylactic Or Therapeutic Compounds, Thainá Landim De Barros

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The incidence of histomonosis has been increasing in poultry since the ban of prophylactic and therapeutic compounds. Histomonosis is caused by the protozoa Histomonas meleagridis. The objective of this dissertation was to investigate factors impacting the pathogenesis and transmission of histomonosis and to evaluate compounds that could potentially prevent or reduce the severity of histomonosis in turkeys. In the first study, the effect of sodium chlorate and sodium nitrate on reducing histomonads growth was tested in vitro and added to a basal turkey diet. A decrease in the growth of histomonads in vitro was observed, but no in vivo effect …

The Effects Of Physical Function And Genetics On Cognition And Blood Biomarkers In Individuals At-Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias, Joshua Louis Gills

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) rates are expected to triple by the year 2050. Early detection and specific mitigation efforts are warranted to blunt the alarming rate. Physical function (PF) declines with age, but higher physical function is associated with better cognitive functioning in middle-to- older age individuals. Moreover, greater physical activity (PA) is associated with better global cognition; however, Apoliporotein e4 carriers may not gain the same benefits with exercise. Additionally, plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) has been identified as a novel diagnostic ADRD biomarker which needs further research to examine associations with risk factors. Therefore, the aims …

Discrete Choice Experiments In Agricultural And Food Economics: Two Essays On Information Provision Modalities, Uncertainty Adjustment, And Hypothetical Bias, Monsoïa Arsène Juste Agossadou

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stated discrete choice experiments are extensively used in applied economics to study preferences and valuation for new products, as well as costs and benefits of new policies and programs. Moreover, information provision experiments widely use the method to examine information effects on different outcomes. This thesis explores two methodological issues in discrete choice experiments: (i) information provision modalities and (ii) hypothetical bias. The first study examines the effect of information modality by testing the effect of using combined text script and audio clip (treatment) versus only text script (control) to convey information in discrete choice experiments. Specifically, the study elicits …

The Influence Of Recreation Engagement On Adolescent Health-Risk Behaviors, Krista Thomas

All Dissertations

The number of adolescents who engage in suicidality is staggering. Adolescence is a unique developmental period where engagement in health-risk behaviors is prominent. Factors influencing engagement in suicidality are vast and occur both internally and externally in the adolescent. Substance use during adolescence has shown an association with increased suicidality. Similarly, bullying, both cyberbullying and in-person bullying, have contributed to adolescent suicidality. Alternatively, recreation engagement has yielded benefits in both psychosocial and physical health for adolescents. However, limited research has identified that engaging in recreation can minimize suicidality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how substance use, …

Outcomes Associated With Timing Of Neurologic Dysfunction Onset Relative To Pediatric Sepsis Recognition, Alicia M Alcamo, Scott L Weiss, Julie C Fitzgerald, Matthew P Kirschen, Laura L Loftis, Swee Fong Tang, Neal J Thomas, Vinay M Nadkarni, Sholeen T Nett

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Objectives: To compare outcomes associated with timing-early versus late-of any neurologic dysfunction during pediatric sepsis.

Design: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional point prevalence study.

Setting: A total of 128 PICUs in 26 countries.

Patients: Less than 18 years with severe sepsis on 5 separate days (2013-2014).

Interventions: None.

Measurements and main results: Patients were categorized as having either no neurologic dysfunction or neurologic dysfunction (i.e., present at or after sepsis recognition), which was defined as Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 5 and/or fixed dilated pupils. Our primary outcome was death or new moderate disability (i.e., Pediatric Overall [or Cerebral] …

Is Detection Of Relapse By Surveillance Imaging Associated With Longer Survival In Patients With Rhabdomyosarcoma?, Stephanie Fetzko, Adriana Fonseca, Mary Frances Wedekind, Abha A Gupta, Bhuvana A Setty, Jeremy Schraw, Philip J Lupo, Robert P Guillerman, Anish A Butala, Heidi Russell, Lauren Nicholls, David Walterhouse, Douglas S Hawkins, Mehmet F Okcu

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: We investigated whether surveillance imaging had an impact on post-relapse survival in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). We hypothesized that relapse detected by imaging (group IM) would be associated with longer survival compared with relapse detected with a clinical sign or symptom (group SS).

Materials and methods: We performed an observational multi-institutional study in 127 patients with relapsed RMS comparing overall survival (OS) after relapse using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses.

Results: Relapse was detected in 60 (47%) group IM and 67 (53%) SS patients. Median follow-up in survivors was 4 years (range 1.0 to 16.7 y). Four-year OS …

De Novo Heterozygous Variants In Slc30a7 Are A Candidate Cause For Joubert Syndrome, Monica Penon-Portmann, Mohammad K Eldomery, Lorraine Potocki, Dana Marafi, Jennifer E Posey, Zeynep Coban-Akdemir, Tamar Harel, Christopher M Grochowski, Hailey Loucks, Walter Patrick Devine, Jessica Van Ziffle, Dan Doherty, James R Lupski, Joseph T Shieh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Joubert syndrome (JS), a well-established ciliopathy, is characterized by the distinctive molar tooth sign on brain MRI, ataxia, and neurodevelopmental features. Other manifestations can include polydactyly, accessory frenula, renal, or liver disease. Here, we report individuals meeting criteria for JS with de novo heterozygous variants in SLC30A7 (Chr1p21.2). The first individual is a female with history of unilateral postaxial polydactyly, classic molar tooth sign on MRI, macrocephaly, ataxia, ocular motor apraxia, neurodevelopmental delay, and precocious puberty. Exome sequencing detected a de novo heterozygous missense variant in SLC30A7: NM_133496.5: c.407 T > C, (p.Val136Ala). The second individual had bilateral postaxial polydactyly, molar …

Addressing Human Trafficking As A Public Health Issue, Frances Recknor, Erica Di Ruggiero, Elsabeth Jensen

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Human trafficking is increasingly recognized as a significant global public health issue. Human trafficking (HT) exists in all nations, including Canada, and is estimated to impact 25 million people globally. HT is a crime that is not always visible. It is associated with a myriad of deleterious health outcomes arising from adverse living and working conditions, and the physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence often accompanying it. Human trafficking also disproportionately affects people living under vulnerable circumstances, particularly those with intersecting vulnerabilities. Public health can advance health equity for trafficked persons and add value to existing anti-trafficking (AT) efforts. Among its …

Circulating Trophoblast Numbers As A Potential Marker For Pregnancy Complications, Brielle Crovetti, Mohamad Ali Maktabi, Hadi Erfani, Tachjaree Panchalee, Qun Wang, Liesbeth Vossaert, Ignatia Van Den Veyver

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Objective: To explore the potential of circulating trophoblasts (TBs) as a non-invasive tool to assess placental health and predict obstetric complications.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of 369 women who enrolled in our original cell-based NIPT (cbNIPT) study. The number of circulating TBs recovered from the maternal blood samples was recorded and expressed as fetal cell concentration (FCC). We evaluated if FCC can be used to predict pregnancy outcomes such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), fetal growth restriction, placental abruption, preterm labor, and pregnancy loss.

Results: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to find …

A Systematic Review Up To 2018 Of Hiv And Associated Factors Among Criminal Justice-Involved (Cji) Black Sexual And Gender Minority Populations In The United States (Us), John A Schneider, Tania Escobedo, Nina T Harawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) and Black transgender women (BTW) are impacted by dual epidemics of HIV and incarceration. We advanced understanding of the relationship between criminal justice involvement, HIV, and other key HIV-related characteristics among these key populations in the US. We conducted a systematic review up to 2018 and 47 articles met the inclusion criteria of scientific publications involving quantitative findings of US-based HIV-related studies focused on criminal justice-involved (CJI) BMSM and BTW. Overall, there was a dearth of studies focused specifically on BTW. Criminal justice involvement was relatively high among BMSM and BTW and …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In The Refusal Of Surgical Treatment In Women 40 Years And Older With Breast Cancer In The Usa Between 2010 And 2017, Xianglin L Du

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Although surgical resection is the main modality of treatment for breast cancer, some patients elect to refuse the recommended surgery. We assessed racial and ethnic differences in women 40 years and older who received or refused to receive surgical treatment for breast cancer in the USA and whether racial disparities in mortality were affected by their differences in the prevalence of refusal for surgical treatment.

METHODS: We studied 277,127 women with breast cancer using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data and performed multivariable logistic regressions to investigate the association between surgery status of breast cancer and race/ethnicity. …

Perceived Discrimination And Injury At Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Latino Day Laborers, Maria L Rangel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Given the stigma of their undocumented status and their high prevalence of workplace injury, understanding the impact of discrimination on Latino day laborers (LDLs) is a critical public health issue.

METHODS: We surveyed LDLs (N = 149) and assessed their sociodemographics, experiences of and perceived reasons for discrimination, and work-related injury. A logistic regression examined the association between discrimination and injury, adjusting for sociodemographics. Next, Chi-square tests identified perceived reasons for discrimination associated with injury which were then included in a second logistic regression to test their association with injury, adjusting for discrimination and sociodemographics.

RESULTS: Participants reported a …

Perceived Discrimination And Injury At Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Latino Day Laborers, Maria L Rangel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Given the stigma of their undocumented status and their high prevalence of workplace injury, understanding the impact of discrimination on Latino day laborers (LDLs) is a critical public health issue.

METHODS: We surveyed LDLs (N = 149) and assessed their sociodemographics, experiences of and perceived reasons for discrimination, and work-related injury. A logistic regression examined the association between discrimination and injury, adjusting for sociodemographics. Next, Chi-square tests identified perceived reasons for discrimination associated with injury which were then included in a second logistic regression to test their association with injury, adjusting for discrimination and sociodemographics.

RESULTS: Participants reported a …

The Influence Of Technostress On Hotel Guests, Samuel Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The implementation of technology in the hospitality sector is rapidly growing. Although there are practical, economic, and experiential benefits of hospitality technology, the increased adoption of guest service technologies such as digital room keys, check-in kiosks, and service robots can also introduce friction points in a guest’s hotel experience. Technostress is any form of stress induced by the usage of technology and this study is among the first to apply this concept to consumer behavior. Based on the transactional model of stress and coping and social cognitive theory, this dissertation examined the effects of technostress on hotel guests, using a …

Cognitive Testing For Sport Concussion: The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing (Impact), Julia E. Maietta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sport concussion is among the most common injuries for an athlete to experience during sport participation. Because of the complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain during and after concussion, symptoms can be heterogeneous in presence and severity. Although most acute symptoms (e.g., headache, slowed processing speed, loss of consciousness, irritability, depression, anxiety) resolve within seven to 10 days for most athletes, there is evidence that higher initial symptom burden and other genetically based differences can lead to longer symptom duration and complicated recovery post-concussion. Because structural changes that commonly occur as a result of concussion (e.g., diffuse axonal injury) …

Awareness And Knowledge On Aging And Hiv-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder: Service User And Provider Perspectives In Southern Nevada, Brandon C. Ranuschio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND) is a condition that can affect up to 50% of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) and present as a cluster of neurocognitive difficulties in domains such as attention, memory, concentration, language, information processing, decision-making, problem-solving, and even motor skills. The current study intended to identify awareness and knowledge of HAND among middle-aged and older PLWH and their healthcare or service providers in Southern Nevada. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, participants from the community were recruited to complete a survey that assessed awareness and knowledge of HAND. The survey also assessed the personal experiences of PLWH …

Meeting The Mental Health Needs Of College-Aged Young Adults: Evaluating The Value And Impact Of Digital Mental Health Interventions., Sara Atherton Choate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The growing prevalence of common mental health problems poses a serious hindrance to young adults, and the majority of those in need of mental health support do not seek professional psychological services. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) that allow for self-management of mental health symptoms could provide a useful adjunctiveto traditional one-on-one counseling or therapy and offer a useful prevention tool for students at risk for experiencing mental health crises. This dissertation explored the efficacy of self-guided DMHIs targeting college students, the factors associated with help-seeking in young adults, and the impact of implementing an evidence-based DMHI at a …

Estimating The Health Effects Of Adding Bicycle And Pedestrian Paths At The Census Tract Level: Multiple Model Comparison, Ross J. Gore, Christopher Lynch, Craig Jordan, Andrew Collins, R. Michael Robinson, Gabrielle Fuller, Pearson Ames, Prateek Keerthi, Yash Kandukuri

VMASC Publications

Background: Adding additional bicycle and pedestrian paths to an area can lead to improved health outcomes for residents over time. However, quantitatively determining which areas benefit more from bicycle and pedestrian paths, how many miles of bicycle and pedestrian paths are needed, and the health outcomes that may be most improved remain open questions.

Objective: Our work provides and evaluates a methodology that offers actionable insight for city-level planners, public health officials, and decision makers tasked with the question “To what extent will adding specified bicycle and pedestrian path mileage to a census tract improve residents’ health outcomes over time?” …

Mentors In Violence Prevention: Differential Impacts On Adolescent Bystander Intentions About Bullying, Dating Violence, And Sexual Harassment, Ayla Mapes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bystander approaches are promising interventions that can engage bystanders as prosocial allies to intervene in interpersonal violence situations among youth within school settings. The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) bystander intervention program targets interpersonal violence using a peer-to-peer mentoring model to engage students in a discussion about violence prevention. Research on the MVP program is promising but limited. The current study examined the specificity of MVP intervention effects in two high school samples. The first was a pre/post-test design that included a smaller sample of high school students who participated in the MVP program in the 2013-2014 academic year. The …

The Child In The Basement: Debilitating Mechanisms In American Science Fiction, Tessa Swehla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the tension between progressive narratives about the future that often frame disability as a medical condition with no place in the future and deliberate debilitation of certain populations for the sake of commodification. These two ideas would seem in conflict with one another, but together, they form a strategy of control. Using the interconnected discourses of medicine and US science fiction, this project synthesizes ideas from debility and disability theory, posthuman studies, medical humanities, and computer science and programming to demonstrate how these two ideas coexist. Each section includes an interchapter that introduces the key idea and …

Church, Country, Culture: How Three Aspects Of Authoritarianism Predict Support For Donald Trump, Trenton Leslie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the American bipartisan system, ideologies and beliefs create political views that sort voters between two groups. Political sorting increases polarization based on cultural preferences for an in-group that become ethnocentric views, which develop into ethnocentric cultural politics. I present an augmented concept of authoritarianism in America that encompasses sorting based on aspects of political belief, encapsulating sources of polarization and cultural attachments to political associations.

I develop the argument that authoritarianism is the result of political attachment to identities that feed off one another as individuals identify with an in-group, such as a party platform. My central theory is …

An Evaluation Of The Convergent Construct Validity Of The Boldness Inventory Of Psychopathy Using A Five-Minute, 10% Carbon-Dioxide-Enriched Air Challenge, Morgan Alexandra Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathy is a constellation of maladaptive interpersonal, affective, and behavioral features, including grandiosity, manipulativeness, emotional detachment, and impulsivity (Hare, 2003). Fearlessness, immunity to stress, self-assurance, and social dominance are considered to be adaptive features of psychopathy. Patrick and colleagues (2009) sought to reconcile differences between opposing conceptualizations of psychopathy by formulating a triarchic model of the condition. One core construct in this model, boldness, captures an ability to remain calm in the face of threat, an appetite for dangerous or risky activities, and an increased tolerance for uncertainty and danger. Boldness is believed to originate from differences in the brain’s …

Local Broadcast Reporters Maintaining Social Responsibility And Mental Health While Serving A Community Under Lockdown, Mary-Morgan Ellis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at local broadcast news reporters working in Northwest Arkansas before, at the start, and during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Research for this study includes a content study of the tweets and Twitter accounts of eleven local reporters. This study considers the social responsibility theory and examines how these eleven local reporters use the theory in their everyday work. Research found, though these reporters don’t credit the theory by name, they are still putting its guidelines into effect as a sort of moral compass when creating objective and representative news for their communities. The research also found that …