Assessing the Current Research Infrastructure of Pediatric Dentistry Residency Programs: An Update for 2020.

Purpose: To assess the research infrastructure of pediatric dentistry residency programs in the United States and to determine the variables associated with increased scholarly activity. Methods: A 21-item questionnaire assessing program characteristics, research infrastructure, publication output and grants secured, barriers to scholarly activity, and satisfaction with current research infrastructure was developed and administered to program directors from March through June 2020. Results: Of 94 programs, 43 (46 percent) responded; 22 (51 percent) were hospital-based (H), 15 (35 percent) combined hospital-university-based (C), and six (14 percent) university-based (U). Most programs (77 percent) offered protected time to residents with varying time allocation (P<0.001). Forty-four percent of programs did not offer any protected time for faculty (P=0.001). Median number of faculty publications, resident publications, and grants were highest for U (16, five, and five, respectively) and lowest for H (zero, zero, and zero) (P<0.001; P=0.03; P<0.001). Number of total full-time faculty, full-time board-certified faculty, and full-time faculty with advanced degrees were associated with increased publications and grants secured. Interference with revenue-generating clinical time was the largest barrier to publication. Conclusion: Although university-based programs exhibit the infrastructure most conducive to scholarly activity, these findings suggest pediatric dentistry residency programs may lack resources and infrastructure to generate high quality research.

Use of dental care by elderly Chinese immigrants in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the predictors for elderly Chinese immigrants' use of dental care services. METHODS: In 2003, a study entitled "Health and Well Being of Older Chinese in Canada" collected data from seven cities in which 2,272 Chinese Canadians aged 55 years and older were surveyed. Data from 1,537 of these individuals were used to examine the use of dental care services by the elderly Chinese. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis was used to examine the predicting factors for use of dental care. RESULTS: More than half (52.1 percent) of the elder Chinese immigrants did not use any dental care services within the past year of the study. Being older, living in Quebec, and having poorer physical health reduced the probability that an older Chinese immigrant would use dental care services. On the other hand, being an immigrant from Hong Kong, having lived in Canada for a longer period of time, strong social support, and having dental problems increase the probability of dental service use. DISCUSSION: The findings support the need for considering the cultural characteristics and background of elderly Chinese immigrants when strengthening oral health promotion. This should encompass understanding of the holistic concept of health that includes oral health and its connections with other physical health issues.

Sometimes higher heart rate variability is not better heart rate variability: results of graphical and nonlinear analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and effect on traditional heart rate variability (HRV) indices of abnormal HRV patterns in the elderly. METHODS: Hourly Poincaré plots and plots of spectral HRV from normal-to-normal interbeat intervals and hourly nonlinear HRV values were examined in a subset of 290 consecutive participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Only subjects in normal sinus rhythm with > or = 18 hours of usable data were included. Eligible subjects were 71 +/- 5 years. During 7 years of follow-up, 21.7% had died. Hours were scored as normal (0), borderline (0.5), or abnormal (1) from a combination of plot appearance and HRV. Summed scores were normalized to 100% to create an abnormality score (ABN). Short-term HRV versus each 5th percentile of ABN was plotted and a cutpoint for markedly increased HRV identified. The t-tests compared HRV for subjects above and below this cutpoint. Cox regression evaluated the association of ABN and mortality. RESULTS: Of 5,815 eligible hourly plots, 64.4% were normal, 14.5% borderline, and 21.1% abnormal. HR, SDNN, SDNNIDX, ln VLF and LF power, and power law slope did not differ by the cutpoint for increased short-term HRV, while SDANN and ln ULF power were significantly lower for those above the cutpoint. However, many HRV indices including LF/HF ratio and normalized LF and HF power were significantly different between groups (P < 0.001). Increased ABN was significantly associated with mortality (P = 0.019). Despite similar values for many HRV indices, being in the group above the cutpoint was significantly associated with mortality (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal HR patterns that elevate many HRV indices are prevalent among the elderly and associated with higher risk of mortality. Consideration of abnormal HRV may improve HRV-based risk stratification.