Dental Health and Mortality in People With End-Stage Kidney Disease Treated With Hemodialysis: A Multinational Cohort Study

Background Dental disease is more extensive in adults with chronic kidney disease, but whether dental health and behaviors are associated with survival in the setting of hemodialysis is unknown. Study Design Prospective multinational cohort. Setting & Participants 4,205 adults treated with long-term hemodialysis, 2010 to 2012 (Oral Diseases in Hemodialysis [ORAL-D] Study). Predictors Dental health as assessed by a standardized dental examination using World Health Organization guidelines and personal oral care, including edentulousness; decayed, missing, and filled teeth index; teeth brushing and flossing; and dental health consultation. Outcomes All-cause and cardiovascular mortality at 12 months after dental assessment. Measurements Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models fitted with shared frailty to account for clustering of mortality risk within countries. Results During a mean follow-up of 22.1 months, 942 deaths occurred, including 477 cardiovascular deaths. Edentulousness (adjusted HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.10-1.51) and decayed, missing, or filled teeth score ≥ 14 (adjusted HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.33-2.17) were associated with early all-cause mortality, while dental flossing, using mouthwash, brushing teeth daily, spending at least 2 minutes on oral hygiene daily, changing a toothbrush at least every 3 months, and visiting a dentist within the past 6 months (adjusted HRs of 0.52 [95% CI, 0.32-0.85], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.64-0.97], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.58-0.99], 0.84 [95% CI, 0.71-0.99], 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.95], and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.65-0.96], respectively) were associated with better survival. Results for cardiovascular mortality were similar. Limitations Convenience sample of clinics. Conclusions In adults treated with hemodialysis, poorer dental health was associated with early death, whereas preventive dental health practices were associated with longer survival

A Genetic Algorithm for Generator Scheduling in Power Systems

. This paper presents a genetic algorithm based approach to the scheduling of generators in a Power System. All the usual unit commitment constraints including ramp rates are considered. An enhanced genetic algorithm incorporating a sequential decomposition logic is used to provide a faster search mechanism. The main advantage of the genetic algorithm formulation is that fairly accurate results can be obtained with a very simple algorithm. The algorithm has been tested on a power system with 26 generators. 1 INTRODUCTION The principal objective of the unit commitment of thermal generators in a power system is to schedule the generating plants in order to serve the load demand at minimum operating cost, while meeting all plant and system constraints. Generator scheduling involves a determination of the start up and shut down times, the loading levels and the amount of spinning reserve for each unit, over a given scheduling period. The schedule is subject to a number of system and unit ..

User interface design standardization matrix for mobile applications

A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Information Technology at Strathmore UniversityMobile applications are becoming increasingly popular in the modern setting due to mass adoption of mobile devices and associated technology. However, mobile applications development has been faced by many challenges specifically in user interface design. Recent studies have shown that user interfaces for mobile applications are neglected and rarely meet user needs and expectations. This is largely due to a combination of factors such lack of user participation, programming errors and crossplatform consistency. This paper adopts an exploratory research design in its attempt to provide a solution to the aforementioned problem which is attributed to lack of standardization in user interface design for mobile applications. In an attempt to address this problem, this paper analyzed the features and examined the principles of user interface design for mobile-applications. This-paper proposes a user interface design-standardization matrix as the solutions which should guide designers of user interfaces for mobile applications. The implementation of the standardization matrix is done at the design stage of the user interface and after the interface has been designed. This enables designers to compare the expected design and the actual user interface design. Adoption of this matrix by designers will lead to better quality and superior user interface designs which will in turn improve the usability of mobile applications and user experience. Therefore, the basis of this research is user interface design for mobile applications which is modeled around user interface design features and principles as the key components

Maternal mortality in Kenya: the state of health facilities in a rural district

(East African Medical Journal 2001 78 (9): 468-472

Cognitive approach to audio description

The article presents theoretical and methodological approaches relevant for the research on audio description (AD) and exemplifies the application of these approaches by studies on live audio description of films conducted at Lund University. A cognitive, reception-oriented perspective on AD and the framework of embodied cognition are in focus. It is claimed that previous research on scene perception, scene description and mental imagery can be preferably adopted in the study of AD. It is further argued that an interdisciplinary framework, integration of theoretical approaches and triangulation of methods is necessary in order to investigate such a complex phenomenon as AD

Confrontación de imaginarios : los antiimperialismos en América Latina

Los estudios que organizan este libro no buscan discutir con las voces críticas respecto de la relevancia o no del imperialismo en las relaciones internacionales. El objetivo del trabajo elude la discusión abstracta, así como el énfasis sobreideologizado de los nudos problemáticos no resueltos. Tampoco trata de evidenciar y denunciar los múltiples efectos de la política imperialista en la historia política de nuestra región. En cambio, busca presentar algunos referentes inscritos en un cierto esquema de regularidad histórica por cuya trayectoria podría hablarse de una tradición antiimperialista. Cambios importantes en la correlación global de fuerzas como el principio y fin del conflicto Este-Oeste y otros como las invasiones norteamericanas, no obstante sus onerosos efectos, a la larga solo han logrado imprimirles mayor raigambre a las razones de esa tradición cuya proyección y gravitación en el escenario latinoamericano actual es de enorme importancia. Del Prólogo de Darío Salinas Figuered