Restorative Dentistry: Dental composite depth of cure with halogen and blue light emitting diode technology

Objectives To test the hypothesis that a blue light emitting diode (LED) light curing unit (LCU) can produce an equal dental composite depth of cure to a halogen LCU adjusted to give an irradiance of 300 mWcm–2 and to characterise the LCU's light outputs. Materials and methods Depth of cure for three popular composites was determined using a penetrometer. The Student's t test was used to analyse the depth of cure results. A power meter and a spectrometer measured the light output. Results The spectral distribution of the LCUs differed strongly. The irradiance for the LED and halogen LCUs were 290 mWcm–2 and 455 mWcm–2, when calculated from the scientific power meter measurements. The LED LCU cured all three dental composites to a significantly greater (P < 0.05) depth than the halogen LCU. Conclusions An LED LCU with an irradiance 64% of a halogen LCU achieved a significantly greater depth of cure. The LCU's spectral distribution of emitted light should be considered in addition to irradiance as a performance indicator. LED LCUs may have a potential for use in dental practice because their performance does not significantly reduce with time as do conventional halogen LCUs

The Customer Is Usually Wrong

The title, The Customer Is Usually Wrong, might lead you to believe that Fred Jandt’s purpose is to negate the importance of customer opinion and/or possibly to blame customers if service is less than satisfactory. His premise is that for an organization to deliver quality customer service that it can take pride in, it must be able to determine what customers believe its service to be, to create expectations of what the service is, and to negotiate with customers to redefine their expectations if they are unrealistic. If the customer makes impossible demands, and they are not met (because they are impossible), the customer is dissatisfied, takes his business elsewhere, and probably tells others how the business failed him or her. To achieve win-win outcomes, service providers need to take on the characteristic attitudes of effective negotiators. First, they must expect the other party always to see the situation differently. And fourth, they must believe that the overall goal is to establish a long-term relationship .Jandt provides a general framework for leaders in every type of service organization to begin a proactive reassessment of the theory and practice of customer service

Business Model Prototyping for Electric Mobility and Solar Power Solutions

AbstractWhich business models create maximum value for customers by leveraging the synergies between electric vehicles, installed batteries, photovoltaic systems, and the power grid? Both the solar power generation and the number of electric vehicles are massively increasing in the forthcoming years and thus they have to be respected as irreversible trends. Assuming that the combination of those technologies through a cooperative energy management approach allows entrepreneurs to make superior value propositions and to generate competitive advantages, a framework is proposed to figure out several business model prototypes. To quickly assess the dynamic behavior and the profitability of those prototypes in an innovation process the framework is complemented by a System Dynamics simulation model

Template assisted surface micro microstructuring of flowable dental composites and its effect on the microbial adhesion properties

Despite their various advantages, such as good esthetic properties, absence of mercury and adhesive bonding to teeth, modern dental composites still have some drawbacks, e.g., a relatively high rate of secondary caries on teeth filled with composite materials. Recent research suggests that microstructured biomaterials surfaces may reduce microbial adhesion to materials due to unfavorable physical material–microbe interactions. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to test the hypotheses that (i) different surface microstructures can be created on composites by a novel straightforward approach potentially suitable for clinical application and (ii) that these surface structures have a statistically significant effect on microbial adhesion properties.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Diets of Overwintering Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, Track Decadal Changes in Arctic Tundra Vegetation

We compared winter diets of Western Arctic Herd Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) from 1995/1996 and 2005 using microhistological fecal analysis on samples collected at paired permanent vegetation transects. Changes in the diets of Caribou followed the same trends as vegetative changes documented in long-term studies in northwestern Alaska. Lichens were significantly less prevalent on the landscape and in the winter diets of Caribou between 1995/1996 and 2005, while graminoids (grasses and sedges) were significantly more prevalent. Dramatic changes are forecasted for Arctic ecosystems under global warming scenarios which may continue the trend of declining lichens in northwestern Alaska and in the diet of Western Arctic Herd Caribou. The question of whether or not the altered diet will affect the population dynamics of this herd remains unresolved

I Am Ready for College. Are You Ready for Me?: Investing in Inclusive Higher Education for Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Minnesota

Minnesota has made a nominal investment in the education of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) beyond high school. Young adults with IDD face many barriers to access and enrollment in Minnesota inclusive postsecondary education (PSE). Barriers include a lack of postsecondary education options, a limited capacity in Minnesota\u27s three existing Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs (CTPs), and unclear available funding options. Young adults with IDD deserve the same opportunity to pursue postsecondary education in Minnesota as their peers, particularly in our public higher education institutions. The Minnesota State system must include adults with IDD in their 2020-2023 Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan