Sex and ancestry patterning of residual correlations in human dental development: Cooperative genetic interaction and phenotypic plasticity.

OBJECTIVES: Most research in human dental age estimation has focused on point estimates of age, and most research on dental development theories has focused on morphology or eruption. Correlations between developing teeth using ordinal staging have received less attention. The effect of demographic variables on these correlations is unknown. I tested the effect of reference sample demographic variables on the residual correlation matrix using the lens of cooperative genetic interaction (CGI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of Moorrees et al., Journal of Dental Research, 1963, 42, 1490-1502, scores of left mandibular permanent teeth from panoramic radiographs of 880 London children 3-22.99 years of age stratified by year of age, sex, and Bangladeshi or European ancestry. A multivariate cumulative probit model was fit to each sex/ancestry group (n = 220), each sex or ancestry (n = 440), and all individuals (n = 880). Residual correlation matrices from nine reference sample configurations were compared using Bartlett's tests of between-sample difference matrices against the identity matrix, hierarchical cluster analysis, and dendrogram cophenetic correlations. RESULTS: Bartlett's test results were inconclusive. Cluster analysis showed clustering by tooth class, position within class, and developmental timing. Clustering patterns and dendrogram correlations showed similarity by sex but not ancestry. DISCUSSION: Expectations of CGI were supported for developmental staging. This supports using CGI as a model for explaining patterns of variation within the dentition. Sex was found to produce consistent patterns of dental correlations, whereas ancestry did not. Clustering by timing of development supports phenotypic plasticity in the dentition and suggests shared environment over genetic ancestry to explain population differences.

Suspected Undiagnosed ADRD Among Middle Eastern and North African Americans.

ADRD underdiagnosis among minority populations is well-established and known to be more prevalent among women. Yet, it remains unclear if these patterns exist among adults of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) descent. We estimated ADRD underdiagnosis among adults of MENA descent and other US- and foreign-born non-Hispanic Whites and compared sex-stratified results. We linked 2000-2017 National Health Interview Survey and 2001-2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (ages > = 65 years, n = 23,981). Undiagnosed ADRD was suspected if participants reported cognitive limitations without corresponding ADRD diagnosis. Undiagnosed ADRD was highest among adults of MENA descent (15.8%) compared to non-Hispanic Whites (US-born = 8.1%; foreign-born = 11.8%). Women of MENA descent had 2.52 times greater odds (95% CI = 1.31-4.84) of undiagnosed ADRD compared to US-born White women after adjusting for risk factors. This study contributes the first national estimates of undiagnosed ADRD among adults of MENA descent. Continued research is needed to facilitate policy changes that more comprehensively address health disparities and related resource allocation.

Association of nativity with survival among adults with hepatocellular carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Immigrants comprise a considerable proportion of those diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States. Nativity or birthplace affects incidence and risk factors for HCC, but little is known about its influence on survival after diagnosis. METHODS: We identified 51 533 adults with HCC with available birthplace in the California Cancer Registry between 1988 and 2017. HCC cases were categorized as foreign born or US born and stratified by mutually exclusive race and ethnicity groups. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Race and ethnicity-specific Cox regression propensity score-weighted models evaluated the relationship between nativity and death as well as region of birth among foreign-born patients. RESULTS: A total of 40% of all HCC cases were foreign born, and 92.2%, 45.2%, 9.1%, and 5.8% of Asian/Pacific Islander (API), Hispanic, White, and Black patients were foreign born, respectively. Five-year survival rates were higher in foreign-born patients compared with US-born patients: 12.9% vs 9.6% for White patients, 11.7% vs 9.8% for Hispanic patients, 12.8% vs 8.1% for Black patients, and 16.4% vs 12.4% for API patients. Nativity was associated with survival, with better survival in foreign-born patients: White patients: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81 to 0.90), Hispanic patients: HR = 0.90 (95% CI = 0.86 to 0.93), Black patients: HR = 0.89 (95% CI = 0.76 to 1.05), and API patients: HR = 0.94 (95% CI = 0.88 to 1.00). Among foreign-born patients, lower mortality was observed in those from Central and South America compared with Mexico for Hispanic patients, East Asia compared with Southeast Asia for API patients, and East Europe and Greater Middle East compared with West/South/North Europe for White patients. CONCLUSION: Foreign-born patients with HCC have better survival than US-born patients. Further investigation into the mechanisms of this survival disparity by nativity is needed.

Mapping of Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties: an Analysis of Sociodemographic Disparities.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 infection on Black and Hispanic Americans in the adult patient population. However, few studies have been done with pediatric populations. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and distribution of COVID-19 cases among pediatric patients in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and identify any sociodemographic disparities. METHODS: A total of 10,087 children/adolescents ages zero years-old to 20 years-old were tested from July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. ArcGIS was used to map cases and obtain sociodemographic data. SPSS software was used to determine significance of data trends and create a predictive model. RESULTS: There were 1,161 pediatric COVID-19 cases detected. White Hispanics and Black Hispanics had statically significantly higher cases when compared to White non-Hispanics and Black non-Hispanics. Percentage of households on food stamps, percentage of households below the poverty line, percentage of minority populations, and percentage of Hispanic population showed a positive correlation with detected pediatric COVID-19 cases. Alternatively, areas with higher median household incomes and higher educational status were negatively correlated with COVID-19. Percentage of Hispanic population and percentage of households below the poverty line were predictive of pediatric COVID-19 cases. CONCLUSION: There was a disproportionate impact of pediatric COVID-19 infection on zip codes of lower socioeconomic status and increased racial/ethnic minority populations. This study demonstrates the need for public health policies that prioritize testing children/adolescents in these communities.