Cybersecurity threats and preparedness: Implications for dental schools

Abstract Background Cybersecurity threats are a growing concern in healthcare, where digital systems now underpin patient care, financial management, and educational operations. A cybersecurity breach in a Dental school environment can have widespread consequences to the mission of the school—patient care, research, education and service. For dental school administrators, these risks highlight the necessity of robust cybersecurity measures. For student learners, the impact may include interruptions to their education. For patients, it could mean compromised personal data and reduced access to clinical care. Results & Conclusion While many sectors have responded to increasing cyber threats by enhancing their defenses, healthcare and dental schools, often lag in implementing necessary protections. This emphasizes the need for proactive measures, such as regular system audits, advanced encryption methods, and ongoing cybersecurity training for administrators and students alike, to mitigate future risks and safeguard institutional integrity.

The Role of Mission, Vision, and Value Statements in Balancing Patient‐Centered Care and Student Learning

An Adapted Behavioral Framework for Integrating LGBT+ in Dental Curriculum: Learner‐Centered Training to Person‐Centered Care

ABSTRACT Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBT+) people report poorer oral health outcomes compared to their heterosexual and gender‐binary counterparts due to social and structural inequities. As such, there is a need for robust integration of social determinants of health (SDOH) and their intersectionality with oral health among LGBT+ people. An SDOH framework was adapted, based on education, organization, and community domains, to integrate the LGBT+ teaching and content into already established dental curricula. The education domain emphasizes the integration of didactic and experiential education to address the person‐centered oral health needs of sexual and gender minorities. This includes didactic content delivery by LGBT+ people and representation from diverse gender and sexual backgrounds in case‐based learning and community service‐learning. The organization domain encourages the embedment of health equity and the development of inclusive environments supportive of gender and sexual minorities into the mission statements of dental schools and the continuing professional development. Important measures include the integration of preferred pronouns at all levels of the organization, diverse gender representation on patient intake forms, and dedicated safe spaces for all minorities, including sexual and gender minorities. Lastly, the community domain emphasizes the development of partnerships between LGBT+ community organizations and dental schools to develop community‐integrated educational models for the teaching of SDOH and the addressal of unmet LGBT+ oral health needs. Integrating this adapted SDOH framework will provide learners, faculty, and staff with a comprehensive understanding of the person‐centered needs of LGBT+ community members. This will encourage learners to approach gender and sexual minorities with empathy and cultural humility while providing trauma‐informed, person‐centered care.

Psychosocial impact on individuals who received negative test results from predictive testing for Huntington's disease: An exploratory qualitative study

Abstract Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease with autosomal dominant inheritance, and no radical cure for HD has been established. Qualitative studies are necessary to investigate the psychological state of individuals who underwent predictive testing for HD, because the psychosocial impact on noncarriers remains unclarified in Japan. Herein, we elucidated the psychosocial impact on the noncarriers for HD and the role of genetic counseling for predictive testing and follow‐up after testing by examining their experiences with predictive testing. We conducted semi‐structured interviews with eight individuals participating in this study. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and evaluated according to thematic analysis. As a result, 4 themes were generated from 21 categories of 46 codes: (1) Diversity of perceptions concerning the test results, (2) Views on life as a noncarrier, (3) Changes in feelings toward and relationships with family members, and (4) Sharing information within the family. After receiving the negative results, the noncarriers felt not only relief but also surprise, doubt, relief from tension, and regret. It was shown that noncarriers felt survivor's guilt toward many unspecified individuals, which was not only a sense of guilt but also a sense of mission or responsibility. Additionally, they conducted altruistic behavior as members of their family and society, that may be related to the Japanese collectivism. Some participants were concerned about sharing information with their siblings. Noncarriers for HD can experience complex psychological states, and Japanese people who prefer high‐context communication may find it difficult to express their feelings and thoughts. It is important to understand their true feelings before and after the predictive genetic testing, reconsider the impact of being a noncarrier and whether it is a burden for them from both subjective and objective perspectives, and conduct long‐term follow‐up as needed.

Examining a career exploration workshop's influence on engagement in and accessibility to the genetic counseling profession

Abstract Prospective genetic counseling students face many barriers when seeking to engage with the genetic counseling (GC) profession and applying to graduate programs. These barriers are exacerbated for individuals who identify as part of an underrepresented minority group due to limited access to academic resources, lack of awareness about career options, and absence of role models and mentors. The NSGC Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Action Plan was developed to address disparities in the field with a focus on areas such as education and training. The JEDI Action Plan calls for development of resources and partnerships for recruiting and supporting minoritized communities' access to the field. The Genetic Counseling Career Research & Exploration Workshop (GC‐CREW) is a 10‐week virtual workshop that was created to offer an inclusive, comprehensive experience that introduces its attendees to the foundations of the GC practice with the mission to increase accessibility and promote diversity within the field. This study utilized a quantitative survey sent to attendees of the GC‐CREW with the aim to assess the workshop's impact on their engagement with and accessibility to the GC profession. Results showed 87% of respondents identified as female and 29% as an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority. Respondents that participated in the GC Admissions Match reported a 45% match rate, and 90% percent of respondents reported the GC‐CREW helped them envision themselves as a genetic counselor. These findings demonstrate the workshop is an effective way for individuals from underrepresented groups to gain exposure and engage with the genetic counseling profession. Eliminating barriers and promoting accessible opportunities for interested individuals to learn more about the field and prepare for the graduate application process is crucial. These actions move the GC profession toward better reflecting the diverse communities it serves, further equipping it to address their unique healthcare needs.

Subjective Cognitive Decline, Inter‐Personal Attachment Style and Relationship Quality

ABSTRACT Background Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is characterized by the perception of cognitive dysfunction, and it could be one of the early signs of dementia. While SCD is a common phenomenon in old persons, little is known about how it affects interpersonal relationships. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional study involving 16 patients with SCD and 39 volunteers recruited from the COSCODE study. The Hazan and Shafer questionnaires were used to assess patients' attachment styles. The Experience in Close Relationships Scale was used to assess individual differences in attachment‐related anxiety and attachment‐related avoidance. A Wilcoxon rank‐sum test was performed to test for differences between groups, and p ‐values were Bonferroni‐corrected. Results SCD is associated with lower disorganized attachment scores ( p  = 0.01). SCD was not associated with experience in close relationships. Conclusion Coping with progressive cognitive decline is a difficult mission. The results of our study on persons with SCD help us to better understand changes in couple relationships before the onset of dementia.

The magnificent seven: An assembly of educational opportunities within an academic hospital medicine program

Abstract Increasing clinical demands and a reduction in traditional teaching opportunities at academic medical centers threaten the ability of hospitalists to participate in their institution's educational mission. Hospitalists with teaching as part of their career focus benefit from faculty development or the creation of teaching activities to stimulate interest in academic medicine and overcome pre‐existing barriers to education. Our large, multi‐site hospital medicine division sought to engage hospitalists from various practice settings in educational opportunities to expand their skill sets as teachers. An Education Council introduced seven initiatives embedded with educator roles for faculty: clinicopathological conference, clinical vignette competition, Grand Rounds, peer observation of teaching, teaching competition, visiting professorship, and ward teacher workshop. Program opportunities generated directorships, faculty, and peer development roles. Multimodal assessment demonstrated increased attendance, evaluations, recognition, scholarship, and events over time. This innovative heptad of faculty educational opportunities within an academic hospital medicine program is feasible, effective, and scalable.

Mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency caused by a deep intronic deletion leading to aberrant splicing

Abstract Trifunctional protein deficiency (TFP) is a disorder of fatty acid beta‐oxidation associated with metabolic, cardiac, and liver dysfunction in severe forms. We present two siblings diagnosed by newborn screening and confirmed by biochemical testing at birth. Their clinical course was complicated by recurrent rhabdomyolysis, retinopathy, and hypoparathyroidism. Both siblings were also diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and bone marrow failure and ultimately died of hypoxemic respiratory failure. Initial sequencing of the TFP‐associated genes HADHA and HADHB showed only a paternally inherited variant in HADHB, NM_000183.3:c.1059del (p.Gly354AspfsTer10). Subsequent evaluation by the Undiagnosed Diseases Network with genome and transcriptome sequencing revealed a rare maternally inherited 17 base pair deletion in HADHB , NM_000183.3:c.1390‐515_1390‐499del, located in the final intron and resulting in a pseudoexon that harbors a premature termination codon. Both sisters were compound heterozygous for this and the paternal premature termination codon. No other variants were detected that were potentially causative for the FSGS and bone marrow failure on genome sequencing. A review of the literature at that time revealed several case reports of the uncommon clinical findings of FSGS, bone marrow failure, and pulmonary involvement in patients with TFP, confirming this clinical diagnosis as the complete explanation for these siblings.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs' emphasis on symbolism: Causes and consequences

Summary In this article, we attempt to explain why diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have become so widespread and central to organizations today. We propose that organizations have responded to powerful societal forces that emphasize the importance of diversity. Because achieving diversity is often difficult, organizations often emphasize the symbolic aspects of diversity, including mission statements on diversity and the creation of units to promote the organization's DEI reputation. This emphasis on diversity symbolism has led to some unintended and negative consequences. A major consequence is that organizations become vulnerable to the charge that they are engaging in “window dressing.” This charge can lead organizations to respond by setting even more difficult‐to‐achieve goals. We cite illustrative examples in which stakeholders have called on organizations to actually achieve diversity, prompting a new round of diversity‐related goal‐setting sometimes accompanied by legally questionable human resource procedures (e.g., preferential hiring). Another negative consequence of diversity symbolism is that it incentivizes a focus on surface rather than deep dimensions of diversity. This displacement of deep by surface level diversity may cause organization to forgo the advantages potentially afforded by the former relative to the latter. We suggest that the tradeoffs inherent in DEI warrant caution and realism in program implementation.

Monsoon Low‐Pressure Systems in Monsoon Mission Climate Forecast System Version 2

ABSTRACT Synoptic‐scale systems, such as monsoon low‐pressure systems (LPSs), contribute significantly to seasonal mean monsoon rainfall. Therefore, realistic simulation of characteristics (i.e., intensity, frequency and propagation) of LPSs is crucial for reducing the dry rainfall biases in general circulation models. Recent studies have argued that the generation and propagation of LPSs are strongly modulated by the narrow coastal sea surface temperature (SST) fronts over the Bay of Bengal (BoB). Therefore, the present study addresses the improvement in LPS characteristics in a coupled model through better representation of coastal SST fronts over the BoB. LPSs over the Indian regions are tracked through the Tempest Extreme v2.1 tracking algorithm. Through a comparative analysis, the present study demonstrates that the recently developed coupled model, that is, the Monsoon Mission Climate Forecast System (MMCFS) version 2 (v2), simulates a higher number of LPSs generated with larger inland propagation as compared to the previous generation model (MMCFSv1). Correct location of positive vorticity anomaly, a larger extent of positive vorticity and circulation anomalies into the landmass and the stronger temporal evolution of sea level pressure or vorticity anomalies are a few of the favourable conditions that support the improved LPS characteristics in MMCFSv2.