Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Endorsed Programs News, Reva Darling

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This section provides updates on services and resources endorsed by the MDA to help members succeed in practice. It covers critical compliance topics like OSHA employee alarm standards and emergency evacuation procedures. Financial advice is offered for associates looking to purchase a practice, focusing on credit scores and debt management. Additionally, it promotes tools for increasing revenue through PPO negotiation and lowering insurance costs via risk management training. The source also mentions the availability of free, confidential counseling through the MDA Member Assistance Program.

When Toxic Behaviors Sneak Into Practice, Amrita Patel, Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article addresses the challenge for new dentists in identifying and managing toxic workplace behaviors. It details common red flags such as chronic negativity, poor communication, "blame culture," and excessive production pressure that compromises ethics. The author explains how these environments can lead to burnout and practicing defensively rather than confidently. The source emphasizes the importance of developing self-awareness, seeking external mentorship, and establishing professional boundaries. It concludes that recognizing when to leave an unhealthy practice is an act of professional self-respect and essential for long-term career satisfaction.

The Back Page: Helping The Homeless Through The Delonis Oral Health Initiative, Sarah Tomaka, Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This feature story highlights a student-led initiative at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry to provide dental care to Ann Arbor's unhoused population. Through the Delonis Oral Health Initiative, students have partnered with a local shelter to connect over 100 vulnerable patients with essential treatment. The article discusses the profound impact of treating dental pain on an individual's ability to pursue stable housing and a better life. It also showcases how the program provides students with meaningful leadership and community service experience while addressing a critical gap in public health.

Exploring Adolescent Hearing Aid Usage And Appearance Of Psychiatric Symptoms In Adolescents Using Hearql-28 Surveys, Courtney J. Austin, Dylan Chan

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Approximately 2% of DHH people in need of mental health services actually receive these services. Among pediatric hearing loss populations, co-occurring cognitive and physical impairments are risk factors for poor mental health status. Due to language barriers and isolation, more children with hearing loss do not have access to mental health services. Cochlear implants have been shown to improve mental health status among the DHH population. Current literature focuses on the mental health status of children with cochlear implants, with little focus on hearing aid users. Using HEAR28 data and surveys, we can quantify the incidence of psychiatric symptoms among …

Does Genetic Testing Influence Outcomes: Early Experience In Melanoma Case Series, Ryan Reyes, George Skenteris, Stella Coker Watson Self Ph.D., Ms, Christine Marie-Gilligan Schammel, Steven D. Trocha

Faculty Publications

Background:

The treatment and prognosis of melanoma have historically been based on histologic stage and Breslow depth; however, due to the increase in surveillance, melanomas are being identified at an earlier stage and lower Breslow depth. Advances in genetic testing, such as Decision Dx®, mean that melanoma diagnostic decisions and prognosis can now be directed by genetics. The purpose of this project was to assess the influence of a Decision Dx® high-grade (Class 2A/B) classification on the treatment of melanoma patients at a regional medical center, particularly those not deemed high risk by conventional classification methods, including Breslow depth and …

Screening Ptsd In Clinical Populations Within East Africa: Results From The First Follow-Up Study Of Neurogap-Psychosis, Shaili Jha, Rocky Stroud, Ana Lucia Dice, Joseph Kyebuzibwa, Stella Gichuru, Fredrick Ochieng, Manasi Sharma, Hayden Mountcastle, Lydia Marshall, Lukoye Atwoli

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Given the high burden of trauma in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a critical need for scalable tools to screen for trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, especially in low-resource settings.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the utility, reliability, and validity of the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5) administered over the telephone to individuals previously enrolled in the Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations-Psychosis study (NeuroGAP-Psychosis) study in Uganda (N = 4,921) and Kenya (N = 3,149).

Method: Cases with psychosis and controls without psychosis (patients, caretakers, or employees) were recontacted from the NeuroGAP-Psychosis …

Cultivating The Future Of Dentistry: Evolution Of Dental Education, Eric Mediavilla Dds, Fagd

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article explores how dental education and practice are rapidly changing with rising enrollment, growing female representation, and advanced digital technologies like VR simulators, 3D scanning and AI imaging. As educators balance innovation with foundational techniques, dentistry continues to evolve.

Credit Card Reform Tops Legislative Wins For Dentistry, Lance Plunkett Jd, Llm

The New York State Dental Journal

Several new laws of interest to dentistry were passed in 2025 and two of them were NYSDA’s own proposals, making the 2025 legislative session a productive one for the State Association, arguably the best in years.

Extraction Of Teeth Or Root Tips From Underneath Fixed Partial Denture Abutments Or Pontics: A Case Report, John S. Mamoun D.M.D.

The New York State Dental Journal

A dental patient may present with a fixed partial denture such that a tooth or a fractured tooth root that was once a terminal abutment or a pier abutment of the fixed partial denture may need extraction from underneath the abutment without removing the fixed partial denture. The patient may need to retain the fixed partial denture for financial or esthetic reasons, or to use the fixed partial denture as a long-term provisional restoration until the extraction site heals, or until a new fixed partial denture is fabricated.

This article presents a clinical report describing a technique for extracting a …

N Y State Dent J March 2026

The New York State Dental Journal

In the March 2026 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• Pebbly Gingival Nodule in an Older Male
• Extraction of Teeth or Root Tips from Underneath Fixed Partial Denture Abutments or Pontics
• Successful Regenerative Endodontic Therapy of an Immature Dens Evaginatus Mandibular Second Premolar with Apical Periodontitis

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Perceptions And Use Of Behaviour Change Interventions For Physical Activity In Chronic Respiratory Disease In The Republic Of Ireland, Ciara Hanrahan, Joseph G Mcveigh, Terence M O'Connor, Thierry Troosters, Julie Broderick

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objectives: Behaviour change interventions may support physical activity behaviour in people with chronic respiratory disease. The most effective interventions for long-term physical activity behaviour change in this cohort remains unclear. This aim of this study was to explore the use and perceptions of behaviour change interventions by both providers of physical activity programmes for people with chronic respiratory disease and by people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in The Republic of Ireland.

Design: Two anonymous online and paper-copy cross-sectional surveys, piloted and mapped to the COM-B model of behaviour change, were distributed via social media and relevant gate-keepers …

Rmdc: Dig Deeper. Grow. Connect. Have Fun., Bryan Savage

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

The 2026 Rocky Mountain Dental Convention (RMDC) brought together approximately 6,500 dental professionals for a three-day event organized by MDDS. The convention featured top national speakers, a dynamic Expo Hall, and emerging research connecting oral and systemic health. Insights from ADA Forsyth Institute researchers highlighted advances in understanding the oral microbiome, inflammation, and environmental impacts on dental development. The RMDC continues to emphasize medical-dental integration through expanded programming and hands-on diagnostic experiences, fostering collaboration across disciplines.

Incidence Vs. Prevalence, Allen Vean Dmd

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

Despite advances in dental technology, dental caries remain the most common chronic disease in children and adults. This reflection highlights the ongoing challenge of early childhood caries and the critical role of parental supervision, preventive care and collaboration with medical providers.

Courageous Conversations: A Dental Professional’S Most Powerful Skill, Katherine Eitel Belt

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

Many professionals avoid difficult conversations out of fear of conflict or failure, but avoidance only worsens problems and erodes trust. This article by Ms. Katherine Eitel Belt offers practical tools for having courageous, productive dialogues. The author shared tips, including listening first, starting from agreement, suspending judgment and emphasizing choice. Ms. Eitel Belt makes a case that by approaching conversations with empathy, openness, and curiosity, leaders can resolve issues more effectively, strengthen relationships, and build healthier, more collaborative teams.

Pebbly Gingival Nodule In An Older Male, Victoria L. Scarpa D.D.S., M.S., Yussra O. Mahmud M.P.H., B.S., Daria Vasilyeva D.D.S., Ph.D.

The New York State Dental Journal

We herein present a case of a giant cell fibroma in an older adult male that clinically has a pebbly or bosselated surface architecture, mimicking a squamous papilloma. The giant cell fibroma is a fibrous tumor distinct from the common irritation fibroma and may easily be mistaken for a papilloma based on clinical features. This case is reported to provide diagnostic value to the general practitioner.

Successful Regenerative Endodontic Therapy Of An Immature Dens Evaginatus Mandibular Second Premolar With Apical Periodontitis Case Report, Jake Horowitz D.D.S., Prashant Sukhani D.M.D., Aaron Brandwein D.D.S., Fagd, Ficd, James Sconzo D.M.D.

The New York State Dental Journal

Background: Dens evaginatus cusps typically have pulpal tissue, and fracturing of the cusp leads to necrosis. Immature permanent teeth with pulp necrosis have traditionally been treated with apexification, which eliminates infection but does not promote root development.

Methods: Regenerative endodontics utilizes revascularization by infiltrating stem cells from the apical papilla and using them to treat an immature necrotic tooth with periapical infection.

Results: Periapical radiolucency completely resolved, root length and thickness increased, and vitality returned at the one-year follow-up.

Conclusion: Regenerative protocols promote root development, reducing fracture risk. This treatment offers improved outcomes with fewer appointments and shorter treatment duration.

There’S A Vaping And Marijuana Crisis. Dentists Can Help Stem It, Bernard Fialkoff D.D.S.

The New York State Dental Journal

Dentists are perfectly positioned to deliver important information to their patients about the dangers of toxic alternatives to tobacco smoking.

"Role Of Preoperative Echocardiography In Resource-Limited Settings And Delayed Patient Care", Zamanali Khakhar, Shamshudin Mohammedali, Sayed Karar

General Surgery, East Africa

Preoperative echocardiography has long been used as an effective diagnostic tool in the preoperative assessment of surgical candidates. In elderly patients, hip fractures represent a critical medical emergency with a high risk of complications that can occur if not addressed promptly. Unnecessary preoperative investigations may lead to delays and potentially compromise the quality of patient care. The motivation to evaluate the utility of preoperative echocardiography in select clinical scenarios, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources are limited, arose from the case of a 72-year-old female who presented to a tertiary hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, with a right-sided …

Breast Cancer Awareness And Preferences For Screening Messaging On Menstrual Hygiene Products In Ghana And Tanzania, Tingting Mo, Elisabeth Msoka, Clement Narh, Blandina Mmbaga, Modesta Mitao, Getrude Mshana, Janeth Kiwia, Huruma Sapheli, Frank Baiden, Miriam Mutebi

General Surgery, East Africa

Background Menstrual hygiene products (MHPs) may offer a high-reach, frequent, long-lasting yet underutilized channel for health education, particularly in low-resource settings. This study aimed to explore women’s breast health awareness (BHA) and their attitudes towards and preferences for BHA messages on MHPs.

Methods Women aged 18–49 years in Ghana and Tanzania (n = 438; 216 Ghana, 222 Tanzania), stratified by age and urban/rural setting, completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographics, BHA, and preferences for BHA messages with MHP. BHA was assessed with an adapted 31-item Breast Cancer Awareness Measure Tool covering 4 domains: breast cancer signs and symptoms, confidence, skills, and …

A Study Of Awareness Of Antiseptics And Disinfectant Use Among Allied Health Sciences Students And Interns Of A Tertiary Care Hospital, Pooja M, Puneeth A, Sharmi Nm

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background:

Antiseptics and disinfectants are among the most vital tools in infection prevention and control (IPC), especially in healthcare settings where the risk of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a significant concern. This study aims to assess the awareness and knowledge of antiseptics and disinfectants among Allied Health Sciences (AHS) students and interns, identify knowledge gaps at different stages of training, and recommend educational interventions.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study conducted among 1st to 3rd-year AHS students and interns at a tertiary care hospital. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire via a Google form after obtaining approval from …

Morphea With Seronegative Inflammatory Arthritis And Normal Acute Phase Reactants: A Case Report, Balakrishnan Navaneethakrishnan, Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Localised scleroderma, also known as morphea, is an immune-mediated fibrosing disorder that primarily affects the skin and subcutaneous tissues. While traditionally considered purely a cutaneous disease, extracutaneous manifestations (especially inflammatory arthritis) are increasingly being appreciated. The combined presence of morphea and inflammatory arthritis is rare and can be difficult to diagnose, particularly when inflammatory markers and serological testing are non-contributory.

Case Summary : We describe a 41-year-old woman with long-standing biopsy-proven morphea who over 2 years developed chronic, asymmetric inflammatory arthritis of the left wrist and hand small joints. On examination, she had active synovitis with restricted movements of her …

Pseudo-Hallucinations: A Diagnostic Conundrum, Dr Sankram Nayak, Manju Aswath, Vathsalya S. Gowda

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background:

Pseudohallucinations are vivid, hallucination-like experiences that are internal, recognized as unreal. Distinguishing from true hallucinations remains a diagnostic challenge.

Case-report

33-year-old female with family history of psychosis presented with 10-year duration of delusion of infidelity and auditory experiences, with normal Biopsychosocial functioning. She had multiple psychiatric consultations, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, treated with  various antipsychotics, ECT, current prescription of clozapine(350mg) with clozapine induced seizure.  Reported that her husband was emotionally unavailable. She described the voices in her head which were non-threatening, praising her for having qualities of an ideal-wife.  They were constant companions giving her solace and hence refrained …

Signal Peptidase Complex Mediates Rotavirus Vp7 Processing And Virion Assembly, Xuejiao Zhu, Enkai Li, Liliana Sanchez-Tacuba, Wandy Beatty, Bin Li, Siyuan Ding

2020-Current year OA Pubs

For viruses that replicate in the proximity of or bud at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) associated membranes, proper processing of their glycoproteins is critical for successful infection. Rotavirus outer capsid protein VP7 is an ER-resident protein. However, its N-terminal signal peptide is removed by an unknown proteolytic mechanism. In this study, we leveraged tandem affinity purification followed by high-resolution mass spectrometry to profile host proteins that interact with VP7. We identified members of the signal peptidase complex (SPC) family as important host factors that facilitate rotavirus infection. CRISPR knockout or siRNA knockdown of distinct SPC subunits resulted in significant decrease …

Seeking Traditional Health Practitioners And Use Of Complementary/Alternative Medicines In The Management Of Movement Disorders In Africa: A Multicenter Continental Study, Ali Shalash, Tamer Roushdy, Samia Sassi, Oluwadamilola Ojo, Yusuf Jamnagerwalla, Ahmed Sheikh, Yasser Mecheri, Maouly Fall, Juzar Hooker, Dilraj Sokhi

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background Traditional health practitioners (THP) and complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) play a well-recognized role in Africa. However, their role in treating movement disorders (MD) remains poorly studied.

Objective This large multicenter continental study aimed to investigate the prevalence of seeking and consulting THPs and using CAMs among people with MDs in different African countries and the associated factors of their use.

Methods This study involved 12 sites within 11 African countries. We developed and distributed a structured questionnaire that documented frequency, attitudes, beliefs, and factors related to patients' engagement with THPs and use of CAMs.

Results We surveyed 1158 …

Estimating Population Structure Using Epigenome-Wide Methylation Data, Ziqing Wang, Kent D Taylor, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Yinan Zheng, Lifang Hou, Xiuqing Guo, Jan Bressler, Laura M Raffield, Yongmei Liu, Robert Kaplan, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, Alanna C Morrison, Myriam Fornage, Bruce M Psaty, Jennifer A Brody, Tamar Sofer

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Population stratification is one of the source of inflation in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) when not properly accounted for. To address this, we developed methylation population scores (MPSs) to predict genetic principal components (GPCs) using a feature selection approach. We used multi-ethnic DNA methylation data from Illumina EPIC arrays across five cohorts, including MESA (n = 929), CARDIA (n = 1123), JHS (n = 1365), ARIC (n = 2338), and HCHS/SOL (n = 1475), randomly splitting participants into training (85%) and test (15%) sets. Within each cohort, associations between GPCs and CpG sites were estimated using linear regression adjusting for …

Human-Centered Design Of Patient Interviews: Capturing The Experiences Of Patients Recovering From Emergency Abdominal Surgery, Jenna L Marquard, Christie L Martin, Elizabeth C Wick, Amanda C Trofholz, Matthew S Loth, Suhyun Park, Genevieve B Melton

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Objectives: Recognizing the challenges of at-home recovery following a truncated presurgical pathway for emergency laparotomy (EL) patients, we sought to identify barriers and facilitators to optimal recovery. This study aimed to develop a human-centered interview guide to capture the experiences of patients recovering at home after EL.

Methods: We employed an iterative human-centered design (HCD) approach to interview guide development, structured across 3 cycles. Each cycle refined the interview guide based on mock interviews and feedback from an interdisciplinary team. In cycle 1, we focused on creating a patient-centered, understandable guide. In cycle 2, we introduced a preinterview survey to …

Diversity And Immune Dynamics Of Choroid Plexus Macrophages Are Shaped By Distinct Developmental Origins, Siling Du, Khai M Nguyen, Alina Ulezko Antonova, Jose L Fachi, Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Alice Verdiani, Martina Molgora, Igor Smirnov, Jasmin Herz, Tornike Mamuladze, Jennifer Ponce, Amanda Swain, Mattia Bugatti, Susan Gilfillan, Marina Cella, William Vermi, Jonathan Kipnis, Marco Colonna, Simone Brioschi

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The choroid plexus forms a key barrier and signaling interface between the brain and peripheral circulation, yet its immune landscape remains incompletely understood. Using single-cell transcriptomics combined with lineage and spatial tracing methods, we identified three biologically distinct populations of choroid plexus macrophages, defined by differential expression of CD163, MHCII or CD9. These subsets arise from separate hematopoietic waves, occupy distinct anatomical niches and differentially rely on CSF1 and IL-34 for survival. We found that TGFβ signaling is essential to maintain their tissue-specific identities, and deletion of Tgfbr2 in these cells induces broad phenotypic reprogramming. During neuroinflammation, choroid plexus macrophages …

Glutamatergic Dysfunction Of Astrocytes In Paraventricular Nucleus Of Thalamus Contributes To Adult Anxiety Susceptibility In Adolescent Ethanol Exposed Mice, Aubrey Bennett, Hyunjung Kim, David Thomas, Peter Biggs, Roxan Ara, Asamoah Bosomtwi, Seungwoo Kang

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Repeated ethanol exposure during adolescence increases adult anxiety risk, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been considered a hub for controlling anxiety and is affected by experiences from early life. Thus, this study investigated how adolescent intermittent repeated ethanol exposure (AIE) affects the PVT activities and anxiety-related behaviors in adulthood. We found that AIE triggers anxiety-like behaviors and parallelly exhibited elevated firing rates and increased calcium signaling in the PVT neurons compared to control counterpart mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of PVT neurons reduced anxiety-like behaviors in AIE-treated animals, confirming PVT's role in adolescent …

Lipids Grease The Chain Of Cancer Progression, Joseph Rupert, Pham Hong Anh Cao, Daniel E Frigo, Mikhail G Kolonin

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The role of lipids in cancer progression has become a fervent area of exploration. The crosstalk of tumors with adipose tissue is a complex but well-regulated orchestration of signaling pathways, lipid transporters, and enzymes. They regulate fatty acid synthesis, their deposition into lipid droplets (LDs) as triglycerides, induction of lipolysis, shuttling lipids across cells, and their systemic trafficking, modification, and catabolism. For the latter, lipid oxidation has emerged as a metabolic process of particular clinical importance. Products of lipid processing can become secondary messengers, contribute to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, stimulate the production of antioxidants, and, if left unchecked, …

Neutralization Of Sars-Cov-2 By Igm-14 Via Engagement Of Two Distinct Spike Epitopes, Yan Wang, Yanping Hu, Zhiqiang Ku, Jason Yeung, Jing Zou, Michael Woodson, Nikolai S Prokhorov, Ekaterina S Knyazhanskaya, Haiqing Zhao, Michael B Sherman, Zhiqiang An, Stephen F Carroll, Pei-Yong Shi, Petr G Leiman, Xuping Xie

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Engineered immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies typically exhibit superior neutralization potency and avidity compared to their parental IgG counterparts, primarily due to multivalent binding to repeated epitopes on a targeting antigen. In this study, we characterize the neutralization breadth and mechanism of action of IgM-14, a previously reported intranasally deliverable antibody targeting SARS-CoV-2. IgM-14 demonstrates remarkably potent antiviral activity against all pre-Omicron variants but significantly reduced efficacy against Omicron BA.1, and complete loss of activity against the later subvariant JN.1. Resistance selection identified two key mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), G476D and F486P, which disrupt IgM-14 binding and confer strong …