Affordable & Accessible Housing for All Minnesotans: Equitable Investment in Housing for People with Disabilities

Without ensuring that housing is also accessible, Minnesota’s efforts to increase affordable housing is leaving out a segment of our community, Minnesotan’s with disabilities. Minnesota must commit to ensuing that every man, every woman, every child in Minnesota, without exception, has a safe, affordable, dignified and ACCESSIBLE place to call home

Cusp Fracture Resistance of Maxillary Premolars Restored with the Bonded Amalgam Technique Using Various Luting Agents

Objective. This in vitro study uses measurements of fracture resistance to compare maxillary premolars restored with the bonded amalgam technique using a new resin luting cement, glass ionomer, and resin-modified glass ionomer as the bonding agents. Materials. Eighty-five sound maxillary premolars were selected and randomly assigned to one of five test groups of 17 teeth each. One group of intact teeth served as the control. The remaining groups were prepared to a standard cavity form relative to the dimensions of the overall tooth and restored with amalgam alone or a bonded amalgam using one of three luting agents: RelyX Arc (a new resin luting cement), RelyX luting (a resin-modified glass ionomer), or Ketac-Cem μ (a glass ionomer) as the bonding agents. Each tooth was then subjected to compressive testing until catastrophic failure occurred. The mean loads at failure of each group were statistically compared using ANOVA with a post hoc Bonferroni test. Results. It was found that regardless of the luting cement used for the amalgam bonding technique, there was little effect on the fracture resistance of teeth. Conclusion. Cusp fracture resistance of premolars prepared with conservative MOD cavity preparations is not improved by using an amalgam-bonding technique compared to similar cavities restored with amalgam alone

The Study on the Applicability of AHO-CORASICK Algorithm in Identifying Tests' Validity

Aho-Corasick Algorithm (ACA) is a kind of dictionary-matching algorithm that locates elements of finite set of strings within an input text. It matches all patterns “at once”, so the complexity of the algorithm is linear in the length of the patterns plus the length of the searched text plus the number of output matches. This paper discusses the applicability of Aho-Corasick algorithm in identifying test validity using the standard Guidelines in Evaluating Tests. A proposed Quiz-Zone system was developed in order to evaluate and test the applicability of the algorithm used. Quiz-Zone allows the user to create exam that will check the test's validity. It also allows the user to choose five types of exam namely: Matching Type, Multiple Choice, Essay, True or False and Short-Answer. The researchers revealed that there are some rules in identifying test validity that ACA can't be applied

QUALITY OF SERVICE OF SMALL HARDWARE COMPANIES IN A NORTHERN PERUVIAN PROVINCE

Currently, the quality of service provided by companies plays a fundamental role as a strategy to meet customer expectations and achieve customer satisfaction. The objective of the study was to identify the customers' perception of the quality of service provided by companies in the hardware sector in the province of Tumbes. In the methodology, the approach was quantitative, descriptive level and non-experimental design. The sample consisted of 487 clients of 10 companies that sell construction products. A questionnaire was adapted as a data collection instrument to evaluate the quality of service in a service company. The results showed that high levels of service quality prevailed with 72.48%, followed by medium with 25.87% and low with 1.64%. High levels of service quality were also found according to the sociodemographic variables sex, age and marital status. It is concluded that the majority of the clients considered the quality of service of the small hardware companies to be high, while only a small percentage considered the quality of service to be low

Metabolitos bioactivos de la culebra ciega (Anguis fragilis): Bioactive metabolites of de blind snake (Anguis fragilis)

En Venezuela existen muchas fuentes de productos naturales con propiedades medicinales, entre ellas se encuentra la culebra ciega Anguis fragilis (Reptilia: Squamata). Un ejemplar de esta especie de 98,2 g fue colectado en el Tigrito, municipio San José de Guanipa, Anzoátegui. Este ejemplar se extrajo, durante 3 semanas hasta agotamiento con etanol y luego con éter de petróleo. Los extractos obtenidos se concentraron a presión reducida obteniendo 3,65 g de extracto etanólico (EE) y 0,03 g de extracto en éter de petróleo (EEP), con un rendimiento en masa de 3,72 % y 0,03 % respectivamente. Cada extracto se analizó con ensayos de actividad antibacteriana, antifúngica, y letalidad contra crustáceos de Artemia salina; además se realizaron pruebas químicas preliminares, detectando la posible presencia de flavonoides, y alcaloides en el EEP; adicionalmente en el EE fue detectada la posible presencia de cumarinas, alcaloides, taninos, y glicósidos cardiotónicos, confirmando por IR-TF los grupos funcionales, asignables a las familias de compuestos identificados previamente en el EE (el de mayor masa), el cual fue fraccionado mediante columna cromatográfica, obteniendo 10 fracciones (A-J). Ninguno de los extractos, ni las fracciones del EE, mostraron actividad letal frente a A. salina, y en la evaluación de actividad antifúngica tampoco se evidenció sensibilidad de los organismos. Para las pruebas antibacterianas se usaron las cepas Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella tiphymurium y Bacillus subtilis, ninguna de ellas mostró sensibilidad ante los extractos, pero la fracción C mostró actividad frente a la mayoría de las bacterias ensayadas, con halos de inhibición entre 12 y 14 mm. A la fracción C se le realizó el análisis de IR-TF, observando que conserva los mismos grupos funcionales presentes en el extracto de origen. El EE se analizó mediante CG-EM y se identificaron los compuestos Éster etílico del ácido hexadecanoico, ácido linoleico, Éster etílico del ácido octadecadienoico, y el Colestan-5-en-3-ol

Contact-FP: A Dimerization-Dependent Fluorescent Protein Toolkit for Visualizing Membrane Contact Site Dynamics

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are sites of close apposition between two organelles used to exchange ions, lipids, and information. Cells respond to changing environmental or developmental conditions by modulating the number, extent, or duration of MCSs. Because of their small size and dynamic nature, tools to study the dynamics of MCSs in live cells have been limited. Dimerization-dependent fluorescent proteins (ddFPs) targeted to organelle membranes are an ideal tool for studying MCS dynamics because they reversibly interact to fluoresce specifically at the interface between two organelles. Here, we build on previous work using ddFPs as sensors to visualize the morphology and dynamics of MCSs. We engineered a suite of ddFPs called Contact-FP that targets ddFP monomers to lipid droplets (LDs), the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, peroxisomes, lysosomes, plasma membrane, caveolae, and the cytoplasm. We show that these probes correctly localize to their target organelles. Using LDs as a test case, we demonstrate that Contact-FP pairs specifically localize to the interface between two target organelles. Titration of LD-mitochondria ddFPs revealed that these sensors can be used at high concentrations to drive MCSs or can be titrated down to minimally perturb and visualize endogenous MCSs. We show that Contact-FP probes can be used to: (1) visualize LD-mitochondria MCS dynamics, (2) observe changes in LD-mitochondria MCS dynamics upon overexpression of PLIN5, a known LD-mitochondrial tether, and (3) visualize two MCSs that share one organelle simultaneously (e.g., LD-mitochondria and LD-ER MCSs). Contact-FP probes can be optimized to visualize MCSs between any pair of organelles represented in the toolkit

Postoperative Cavity Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Brain Metastases

During the past decade, tumor bed stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) after surgical resection has been increasingly utilized in the management of brain metastases. SRS has risen as an alternative to adjuvant whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT), which has been shown in several studies to be associated with increased neurotoxicity. Multiple recent articles have shown favorable local control rates compared to those of WBRT. Specifically, improvements in local control can be achieved by adding a 2 mm margin around the resection cavity. Risk factors that have been established as increasing the risk of local recurrence after resection include: subtotal resection, larger treatment volume, lower margin dose, and a long delay between surgery and SRS (>3 weeks). Moreover, consensus among experts in the field have established the importance of (a) fusion of the pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging scan to aid in volume delineation (b) contouring the entire surgical tract and (c) expanding the target to include possible microscopic disease that may extend to meningeal or venous sinus territory. These strategies can minimize the risks of symptomatic radiation-induced injury and leptomeningeal dissemination after postoperative SRS. Emerging data has arisen suggesting that multifraction postoperative SRS, or alternatively, preoperative SRS could provide decreased rates of radiation necrosis and leptomeningeal disease. Future prospective randomized clinical trials comparing outcomes between these techniques are necessary in order to improve outcomes in these patients

Untargeted LC-HRMS-based metabolomics to identify novel biomarkers of metastatic colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death worldwide, and novel biomarkers are urgently needed for its early diagnosis and treatment. The utilization of metabolomics to identify and quantify metabolites in body fluids may allow the detection of changes in their concentrations that could serve as diagnostic markers for colorectal cancer and may also represent new therapeutic targets. Metabolomics generates a pathophysiological ‘fingerprint’ that is unique to each individual. The purpose of our study was to identify a differential metabolomic signature for metastatic colorectal cancer. Serum samples from 60 healthy controls and 65 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were studied by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry in an untargeted metabolomic approach. Multivariate analysis revealed a separation between patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and healthy controls, who significantly differed in serum concentrations of one endocannabinoid, two glycerophospholipids, and two sphingolipids. These findings demonstrate that metabolomics using liquid-chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry offers a potent diagnostic tool for metastatic colorectal cancer.This study was supported by a grant (n° 15CC056/DTS17/00081- ISCIII-FEDER) from the Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Andalucía Oriental (FIBAO) and Roche Pharma S.L. Authors from the Fundación MEDINA acknowledge the receipt of financial support from this public-private partnership of Merck Sharp & Dohme de España S.A. with the University of Granada and Andalusian Regional Government (PIN-0474-2016)

Push-out bond strength of fiber posts to root dentin using glass ionomer and resin modified glass ionomer cements

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the push-out bond strength of glass fiber posts to root dentin after cementation with glass ionomer (GICs) and resinmodified glass ionomer cements (RMGICs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty human maxillary canines were transversally sectioned at 15 mm from the apex. Canals were prepared with a step back technique until the application of a #55 K-file and filled. Post spaces were prepared and specimens were divided into five groups according to the cement used for post cementation: Luting & Lining Cement; Fuji II LC Improved; RelyX Luting; Ketac Cem; and Ionoseal. After cementation of the glass fiber posts, all roots were stored at 100% humidity until testing. For push-out test, 1-mm thick slices were produced. The push-out test was performed in a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/minute and the values (MPa) were analyzed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Levene's tests and by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Fiber posts cemented using Luting & Lining Cement, Fuji II LC Improved, and Ketac Cem presented the highest bond strength to root dentin, followed by RelyX Luting. Ionoseal presented the lowest bond strength values (P>0.05). The post level did not influence the bond strength of fiber posts to root dentin (P=0.148). The major cause of failure was cohesive at the cement for all GICs and RMGICs. CONCLUSIONS: Except for Ionoseal, all cements provided satisfactory bond strength values

Human embryonic stem cell-derived test systems for developmental neurotoxicity: a transcriptomics approach

Developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) and many forms of reproductive toxicity (RT) often manifest themselves in functional deficits that are not necessarily based on cell death, but rather on minor changes relating to cell differentiation or communication. The fields of DNT/RT would greatly benefit from in vitro tests that allow the identification of toxicant-induced changes of the cellular proteostasis, or of its underlying transcriptome network. Therefore, the 'human embryonic stem cell (hESC)- derived novel alternative test systems (ESNATS)' European commission research project established RT tests based on defined differentiation protocols of hESC and their progeny. Valproic acid (VPA) and methylmercury (MeHg) were used as positive control compounds to address the following fundamental questions: (1) Does transcriptome analysis allow discrimination of the two compounds? (2) How does analysis of enriched transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) and of individual probe sets (PS) distinguish between test systems? (3) Can batch effects be controlled? (4) How many DNA microarrays are needed? (5) Is the highest non-cytotoxic concentration optimal and relevant for the study of transcriptome changes? VPA triggered vast transcriptional changes, whereas MeHg altered fewer transcripts. To attenuate batch effects, analysis has been focused on the 500 PS with highest variability. The test systems differed significantly in their responses (\20 % overlap). Moreover, within one test system, little overlap between the PS changed by the two compounds has been observed. However, using TFBS enrichment, a relatively large 'common response' to VPA and MeHg could be distinguished from 'compound-specific' responses. In conclusion, the ESNATS assay battery allows classification of human DNT/RT toxicants on the basis of their transcriptome profiles.EU/FP7/ESNATSDFGDoerenkamp-Zbinden Foundatio