Flight-deck automation: Promises and problems

The state of the art in human factors in flight-deck automation is presented. A number of critical problem areas are identified and broad design guidelines are offered. Automation-related aircraft accidents and incidents are discussed as examples of human factors problems in automated flight

Assessing the effect of advertising expenditures upon sales: a Bayesian structural time series model

We propose a robust implementation of the Nerlove--Arrow model using a Bayesian structural time series model to explain the relationship between advertising expenditures of a country-wide fast-food franchise network with its weekly sales. Thanks to the flexibility and modularity of the model, it is well suited to generalization to other markets or situations. Its Bayesian nature facilitates incorporating \emph{a priori} information (the manager's views), which can be updated with relevant data. This aspect of the model will be used to present a strategy of budget scheduling across time and channels.Comment: Published at Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/asmb.246

Association of Breastfeeding and the Federal Poverty Level: National Survey of Family Growth, 2011–2013

Breastfeeding is strongly endorsed in the Healthy People 2020 goals; however, there remain many disparities in breastfeeding prevalence. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between breastfeeding and the Federal Poverty Level in the United States. Data from 5,397 women in the National Survey of Family Growth 2011–2013 survey were included in this study. The data were analyzed for descriptive features and logistic regressions of the Federal Poverty Level on breastfeeding. There were 64.1% of women who reported breastfeeding. Over one-third (35.2%) of women reported having a household income of 0–99% of the Federal Poverty Level. There were 15.2% of women who reported an income of 400% and above the Federal Poverty Level. With statistical adjustment for maternal age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, parity, preterm birth, birth weight, insurance, and dwelling, the Federal Poverty Level was not significantly associated with breastfeeding. In this recent survey of mothers, Federal Poverty Level was not shown to be a significant factor in breastfeeding

Oral Health Knowledge and Dental Visits in Community Living Older Adults in Rural Appalachia-West Virginia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health knowledge and dental visits of older adults in an Appalachian county. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Surveys were returned from 205 older adults (50 years and above) from an Appalachian county. Questions were asked about oral health, last dental visit and sociodemographics. Results: The variable of interest, oral health knowledge, was associated with dental visit. Having low oral health knowledge increased odds of having delayed a dental visit beyond a year (unadjusted odds ratio: 2.99; 95% Confidence interval: 1.70, 5.28). Even after considering the number of existing teeth, and controlling for age, sex, education and smoking, the association remained positive and independently significant (adjusted odds ratio: 2.25; 95% Confidence interval: 1.05, 4.82). Education was the only sociodemographic variable associated with last dental visit Conclusion: The surveyed older adults have a need for increasing dental visits within the previous year. Increasing dental knowledge was associated with odds of increased dental visits. Improving dental knowledge may be a strategy to improve the number of older adults having a dental visit within the year

Association between Serum Uric Acid Levels and Sleep Variables: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2005–2008

Sleep disordered breathing as well as high serum uric acid levels are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, studies evaluating the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and hyperuricemia are limited. We examined the 2005–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey\u27s sleep variables and high serum uric acid among 6491 participants aged ≥ 2 0 years. The sleep variables included sleep duration, snoring, snorting, and daytime sleepiness. The main outcome was high serum uric acid level, defined as levels of serum uric acid \u3e 6 . 8 mg/dL in males and \u3e 6 . 0 mg/dL in females. We found that snoring more than 5 nights per week, daytime sleepiness, and an additive composite score of sleep variables were associated with high serum uric acid in the age- , sex-adjusted model and in a multivariable model adjusting for demographic and lifestyle/behavioral risk factors. The association was attenuated with the addition of variables related to clinical outcomes such as depression, diabetes, hypertension, and high-cholesterol levels. Our results indicate a positive relationship between sleep variables, including the presence of snoring, snorting, and daytime sleepiness, and high serum uric acid levels

Needs Assessment for Emerging Oral Microbiome Knowledge in Dental Hygiene Education

The curricula of dental hygiene education reflect the knowledge gained through research and clinical advances. Emerging knowledge is often complex and tentative. The purpose of this study is to assess dental hygiene students\u27 confidence in their knowledge about the oral microbiome and to conduct a knowledge needs assessment for expanding their exposure to emerging knowledge about the oral microbiome. Sixty dental hygiene students were surveyed, using a Likert-type scale about their confidence and about current and emerging bacteriological research. The majority of students (60%) reported being confident in their knowledge. The mean score for the ten items was 35.2% (standard deviation, 20.6%). The results of this study indicate a need for emphasis on emerging oral microbiome research in dental hygiene education. This is important so that dental hygiene students can properly share information with their patients about advances in dental care

Relationship of Routine Inadequate Sleep Duration and Periodontitis in a Nationally Representative Sample

Purpose. Previous research has indicated the public health impact of inadequate sleep duration on health, potentially through an immune-inflammation mechanism. This mechanism also has a role in periodontitis. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an association of routine inadequate sleep and periodontitis.Methods. Data from merged National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 2009-10 and 2011-12 were the data source for the study. The key outcome was periodontitis (yes, no), and the key variable of interest was usual sleep on weekday or workday nights. Chi square and logistic regression procedures were conducted. The study included 3,740 participants who were of ages 30 years and above. Results. There were 52.7% of participants who had periodontitis. There were 35.7% who usually slept less than 7 hours on weekday or workday nights. In adjusted logistic regression the odds ratio for periodontal disease for participants who slept less than 7 hours on weekday or workday night was 1.00 [95% confidence interval: 0.83, 1.21; ].Conclusions. The relationship of periodontitis and inadequate sleep duration in a nationally representative study of participants who were of ages 30 years and above failed to reach statistical significance in adjusted logistic regression analyses

Providing Daily Oral Infection Control to Persons Dependent on others for Activities of Daily Living: A Semi-Qualitative Descriptive Study

Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate caregiver assessment of the ease of use of a specially designed toothbrush for providing daily oral infection control (toothbrushing) to persons dependent upon others for activities of daily living. Method Eighty-eight caregivers accepted surveys and multi-surface toothbrushes to provide daily oral infection control to the person to whom they assisted. They were asked to evaluate the ease of use of the multi-surface toothbrush, and provide comments about it. Results There were 30 surveys returned (34.1% response rate). In terms of the ease of use, 90.0% of the caregivers agreed (63.3% strongly agreed, and 26.7% agreed) that the multi-surface toothbrush was easier to use than their previous toothbrush. Comments about the toothbrush were predominantly positive. Conclusion It is difficult to provide daily oral infection control to another individual. Having an efficient oral health aid which makes it easier to do so is important to caregivers. With the overwhelming positive response to the multi-surface toothbrush, it is important to disseminate the information about its ease of use

Clinical Oral Health Recommended Care and Oral Health Self-Report, NHANES, 2013-2014

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the concordance of self-reported responses to oral health questions versus clinically evaluated recommended need for oral healthcare by calibrated dentists to determine usefulness of the questions for epidemiological studies. We additionally examined other factors associated with concordant self-reports versus clinical evaluations. Materials and Methods. We used a cross-sectional study design with 4,205 participants, ages 30 years and above, who had complete oral health self-perception data and dental referral data in the NHANES 2013-14. Calibrated dentists completed clinical oral healthcare assessments. The assessments were dichotomized to (1) recommendation for immediate care and (2) routine oral health care. Self-reported oral health needs were measured with 6 items (an overall oral health self-perception question, oral pain within the previous year, impact on job/school, suspected periodontal disease, tooth appearance, and tooth mobility). The key item of interest was the overall oral health self-perception question. Results. Concordance with clinically evaluated recommended need for oral healthcare varied from 52.0% (oral pain) to 65.4% (overall oral health self-perception). Many subgroup differences were observed.Conclusions. The overall self-perception of oral health and the clinical evaluation of oral healthcare need were substantially concordant; other self-reported measures were moderately concordant. This is useful information and points to the need for a minimum set of measures that can provide actionable information and capture the need for clinical dental care

“Normals, Crazies, Insiders, and Outsiders”: The Relevance of SueEstroff’s Medical Anthropology to Disability Studies

This essay explores the promising interdisciplinary connections between Disability Studies and Medical Anthropology by examining the work of long-time ethnographer and activist Sue Estroff in the context of a Disability Studies perspective and philosophy. The author provides an array of examples of how Estroff’s historical, and more recent scholarship, is relevant to Disability Studies praxis today, and suggests that Medical Anthropology as a field would benefit from utilizing a Disability Studies orientation in its own scholarship and practices