The United Nations more than tripled its humanitarian aid appeal on Thursday from $2 billion to $6.7 billion to accommodate its updated global plan to help the poorest nations fight the coronavirus pandemic.

China's exports rebounded in April, growing 3.5 percent, according to the latest data from Beijing's General Administration of Customs on Thursday.

Navy leaders and private contractors broke ground this week on what will become the fleet's only dedicated facility to test, fire and evaluate complete laser weapon systems in a maritime environment.

Denice S. Feig
Oct 1, 2011; 34:2329-2330
Editorial (See Rowan et al., p. 2279)

Gregory G. Schwartz
May 1, 2020; 43:1077-1084
Emerging Therapies: Drugs and Regimens

Vanita R. Aroda
Sep 1, 2019; 42:1724-1732
Emerging Therapies: Drugs and Regimens

Itamar Raz
Aug 1, 2013; 36:S139-S144
Diabetes Pathophysiology

Alison B. Evert
May 1, 2019; 42:731-754
Continuing Evolution of Nutritional Therapy for Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

The long-term influences of sex hormone administration on insulin sensitivity and incretin hormones are controversial. We investigated these effects in 35 transgender men (TM) and 55 transgender women (TW) from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI) study.

OBJECTIVE

Haptoglobin is an acute-phase reactant with pleiotropic functions. We aimed to study whether urine haptoglobin may predict risk of mortality in people with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

Topical oxygen has been used for the treatment of chronic wounds for more than 50 years. Its effectiveness remains disputed due to the limited number of robust high-quality investigations. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of multimodality cyclical pressure Topical Wound Oxygen (TWO2) home care therapy in healing refractory diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that had failed to heal with standard of care (SOC) alone.

OBJECTIVE

To assess functional β-cell capacity in type 2 diabetes during 2 years of remission induced by dietary weight loss.

While much attention has been given to the move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to raise its application fees—including an 83 percent hike to apply for U.S. citizenship—the policy changes embedded in the proposed rule have been less scrutinized. The changes, including the elimination of most fee waivers for lower-income applicants, would likely reduce the number and shift the profile of those getting a green card or other immigration status.

Average educational indebtedness of graduating students from U.S. dental schools has increased an average of 3.5% annually between 2000 and 2018 after adjusting for inflation.

This year’s Institute for Teaching Learning program is scheduled for Aug. 23-26 in Atlanta. Now in its 14th year, with over 700 alumni, the program combines presentations, discussions, small group activities and peer-to-peer learnings to give participants new teaching skills. The onsite program is followed by a six-month distance learning experience that include online activities and interactive webinars.

International dental school graduates in U.S. dental schools

The ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure launched in December an interactive map in an effort to assist dentists with keeping track of current initial licensure requirements by state.

The American Dental Association, along with 75 organizations, is urging Congress to support legislation to regulate vaping devices and liquids in the same manner the Food and Drug Administration regulates cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Following a ruling in federal court two days prior, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Jan. 25 that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule fee limitations do not apply to requests to transmit copies of records to third-parties.

Advanced dental education program enrollment by gender

The American Dental Association is accepting submissions for awards that honor standards-based research.

The Association is calling for nominations of qualified individuals to serve as the ADA appointee to the Joint Commission Board of Commissioners.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen combination drug for the U.S.

The U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 28 passed a comprehensive bill designed to address the youth tobacco epidemic.

The American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry filed comments Feb. 28 on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ proposed 2021 notice of benefit and payment parameters for the Affordable Care Act.

Trying to navigate the world of dental benefits can be full of choppy seas, and the ADA is holding a free webinar in April to help dentists and their staff find a safe harbor full of information.

Allied dental vs predoctoral dental graduates

On March 20, the ADA will release an on-demand webinar offering answers to frequently asked questions about infection control protocol and procedures related to COVID-19.

Arlington, Va. — The Dental Trade Alliance announced March 10 that it appointed Gregory Chavez as CEO. Mr. Chavez, formerly the executive vice president of operations and membership at The Vision Council, will be taking over for Gary Price.

The extension comes after it was announced the program will now be held Oct. 22-23 in Atlanta due to concerns over COVID-19. LEAP was originally set for May 7-8.

Posterior multiunit zirconia-ceramic restorations are slightly more susceptible to chipping of the veneering ceramic than metal-ceramic restorations, but they are considered a reliable treatment in the medium term, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the April issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry announced March 19 that it named Dr. Keith A. Mays, Ph.D, as its interim dean for two years beginning May 15.

The University of Washington School of Dentistry announced March 26 that Dr. Gary Chiodo, its interim dean since August 2018, will now serve a full five-year term as dean.

The ADA and other health care organizations signed a public statement March 27 saying they “strongly” support emergency efforts at the federal level to dramatically increase the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other necessary medical equipment and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 1-7: “Managing Professional Risks: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to OSHA Training: Compliance for Dental Professionals.”

In a statement issued April 1, the ADA issued an interim recommendation that “dentists keep their offices closed to all but urgent and emergency procedures until April 30 at the earliest.”

On the heels of the ADA’s December interim policy on vaping comes a new CDT code that references counseling services about high-risk substance use including vaping.

Dentists can apply for both Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans, the Small Business Administration told the American Dental Association on April 6.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 8-14: “Managing Finances: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to HIPAA Training.”

In a time when teledentistry is gaining more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA will stream a free webinar in May that takes a close look at the different types of images needed for diagnosis, treatment planning and operative procedures.

The American Dental Association sent a letter to third-party payers urging that administrators of dental benefit plans adjust and adapt reimbursement procedures important to dentists and patients — including coverage for temporary procedures and adjusting fee schedules to account for cost of increasing infection control procedures ¬— in the midst of the “unprecedented and extraordinary circumstances dentists and their patients face” during the pandemic.

The ADA Board of Trustees traditionally holds six meetings a year at Association Headquarters in Chicago, but this year, for the first time, the Board held its April meeting via Zoom — an all digital meeting.

The ADA is calling on Congress to help ensure there is appropriate personal protective equipment available to all health care providers — including dentists — who continue to provide emergency care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

American Dental Association President Chad P. Gehani has assembled an advisory task force to oversee the ADA’s development of tools for dentists as they bounce back from the effects of practice restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A North Carolina oral health coalition, in collaboration with multiple state partners, has developed an interactive map to help guide the public to sites where emergency dental services are available throughout the Tar Heel State both during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Organized Dentistry Coalition is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to “extend federal authorization for licensed dentists to conduct Food and Drug Administration-authorized, point-of-care testing” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recorded webinar will stream April 27 outlining the Association’s interim recommendation for personal protective equipment in dental settings as some states consider loosening social distancing mandates.

A $484 billion coronavirus relief bill passed Congress April 23, and will provide additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans as well as the Economic Injury Disaster loan advances.

The Small Business Administration will resume accepting Paycheck Protection Program loan applications at 10:30 a.m. EST on April 27 from “approved lenders on behalf of any eligible borrower,” the agency said.

As some dental practices begin plans to reopen and provide nonemergency care — as some states reopen following the direction of their state — the Association is urging dentists to have robust communication and engage their dental team members to address any concerns related to returning to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.