Categories
coding

LAMP Ubuntu 19.04

LAMP on Ubuntu 19.04 should be a snap, and it is. If you install all the packages! I was missing libapache2-mod-php and php-mysql. Here’s the blog post that helped me out.

How To Install Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) stack on Ubuntu 16.04

LAMP starts with Linux

Ubuntu 19.04 also provides a meta-package for this.
sudo apt-get install lamp-server^ will install all dependencies, and give instructions for enabling PHP under Apache2. Mind the trailing caret (^)! This meta-package selects MySQL 5.7 over MariaDB 10.3. A brief search indicates this is the best choice.

Why am I doing this? In order to have a development environment for this WordPress 5 website. WordPress is widely used, but is not this developer’s cup of tea. However, it does have a strong community and it’s development is ongoing, so time to get on the bandwagon. Or at least use a staging methodology to push changes to www.metatooth.com.

My first website was of the LAMP variety. I guess 20 years is not that long for a platform’s life-cycle. What platform’s longevity surprises you? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
startup

SCORE

SCORE offers free business counseling. For those near Lynn, MA you can find them at the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursdays. I’ve been going since January. They’ve answered all my questions: finance, marketing, sales, strategy. You name it, they’ve seen it!

It’s been a great journey so far and I am learning new skills (for example, the sales pitch, marketing collateral). The SCORE counselors have a variety of backgrounds and are eager to brainstorm ideas. Business patterns are similar across industries, for example, Customer service is always about… the customer. For a startup or small business owner who has done 80% of the work, getting sound advice is crucial to completing the next 20%.

A session is 1 hour with whichever 2-3 counselors on hand. I treat it a bit like a project review meeting and a bit like a board of directors meeting. It’s a great tool to keep one honest with the schedule and plan. I keep up my project planning and communication chops by preparing the bi-weekly summary. I have developed KPIs to help understand how my efforts are paying off. For someone used to working in organizations, it is a familiar routine.

But it’s also a way to weed through all the potential ideas and keep focus. Taking an idea from conception to sustainability is a challenge.  Having others involved in the narrative makes it possible to connect tactics with the overall strategy.

One needs to prepare for overnight success and the best method for me to prepare is to practice. The counselors provide a process within which I can operate.  There is also a bit of encouragement, which is helpful, too.

Have you used SCORE or a mentoring program? Tell me about it in the comments!

SCORE business counseling notes
My notes from a SCORE counseling session.
Categories
marketing

Postcard 4×6

Categories
research

3D Printed Epithelial Cells

I was recently reminded about this technological advancement! Epithelial cells are part of the Periodontum, which includes the Periodontal Ligament. Being able to print these biological materials (and a scaffold) opens up new possibilities in functionality for regenerative and prosthetic products.

How far away could a 3D printed gingiva implant be? Hazard a guess in the comments!

Korea: Researchers 3D Printing Tracheas with Epithelial Cells & Chondrocytes

Categories
programming

The Most Amazing

The most amazing product I developed was a scan body & detection algorithm for dental implant procedures. The scan body’s design is patented[1] and the algorithm is proprietary.

scan body
Image © Dentsply Sirona

What is a scan body for dental implant procedures? It’s a device attached to a patient’s dental implant and recorded in a dental impression. The implant’s location with respect to the patient’s anatomy can then be determined from the impression. Knowing the location, a prosthetic tooth can be fabricated.

I developed the algorithm in an iterative way using well-known techniques. I also needed to collaborate with other software engineers who had a deeper knowledge of the domain. It was a C++ application built with CMake and deployed as part of a data processing pipeline. It did not have a 100% detection rate, but it served a vital business need.

The algorithm was part of a larger project that involved the design and supply of the device to clinicians. It was a cross-functional and trans-national team. A great challenge but one of the most amazing projects I’ve worked on, too.

This post inspired by the idea of being a “top 3%” developer in C++, thanks to toptal. What was your most amazing product or project? Tell me about it in the comments!

1. US Patent #D787,061S SCAN BODY FOR DENTAL IMPLANT PROCEDURES

Categories
programming

Google Firebase

I am developing a Vue.js application on Google Firebase. Firebase provides hosting, cloud functions, database, file storage, and an authentication module. My source code is on BitBucket and CI/CD is accomplished with BitBucket Pipelines and Bash scripts.

https://firebase.google.com/

I give Google Firebase “5 stars” for documentation and video tutorials. The authentication module makes getting started with users a snap.

The “NoSQL” database, Firestore, is also a breeze to get started with. So far, I’ve been using it directly, but I can see the need for a RESTful layer in between it and the client code. Firestore and it’s ilk (Redis, MongoDB) have their advantages, but providing a structured interface for multiple clients will reduce headaches down the road. It also decouples the client from the actual database technology. This seems to be a common pattern. I’ve used it in C++, Ruby, and JavaScript.

Firebase Cloud Functions gives a way to provide highly scalable endpoints. I haven’t explored Cloud Functions (AWS Lambda) too much. Conceptually, I view them as an Express.js application without the Express.js Firebase does offer triggers to database events, which feels like a stored procedure to me. I’m using them, but cautiously. It certainly helps to move business logic out of the clients.

Firebase provides hosting as well, accessed using their firebase-tools Node package. With my source in BitBucket, I’ve added BitBucket Pipelines. BP is typical of CI/CD services (Travis, Circle, Azure DevOps) with a YAML file to describe each pipeline.

How much will this thing cost? At the moment, $25/month for the Blaze plan on one Firebase project. It appears typical to use one project per stage.

I’d like to end this post with a link to the project, but we are  not ready to launch yet. Stay tuned!

Categories
orthodontics

LightForce Orthodontics

LightForce™ Orthodontics is coming out of stealth mode.  They will be making waves at the American Academy of Orthodontics’ 2019 Annual Session. LightForce™ is the first true patient-specific orthodontic bracket made possible with recent advancements in 3D printing. Digital treatment planning plays a role too!  The key to shortened chair & treatment times will be the reduction in wire bending done by the orthodontist [1].

I am a bit amazed at the current state of orthodontic affairs.  Bending wires to move teeth in a multi-variable environment seems a little bit like trying to hit a fastball with a golf club. It works but it’s inefficient. In the future, patient-specific brackets, digital treatment plans, and indirect bonding trays will be the only way braces are prescribed. LightForce Orthodontics is doing it first.

Check out their website for additional information and further news. Congrats and good luck to the LightForce team!

https://lightforceortho.com/

What other specialties could use a 21st century update? Tell me about it in the comments!

  1. Effectiveness of Insignia™ Versus Standard Orthodontic Treatment with Damon Q Brackets. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01268852
Categories
dentistry

Evidence Based Dentistry

The Atlantic’s May 2019 issue includes an article by Ferris Jabr entitled “The Truth About Dentistry“. It highlights the dearth of evidence-based studies and strong procedural controls in the profession. The author claims that the prevalence of private practices is one reason for this. I think some specialties are more rigorous then others, but I agree with the author’s thesis. It may be that a benefit of so-called Dental Service Organizations is to enforce compliance with best practices.  Technological advances might help too!

The article details the malpractice of one dentist, prone to over-treating patients as well as billing for “phantom” treatments.  There will always be bad apples, but I would agree that for some practices, the economics of the dental office drives procedure choice rather than the patient’s best interests.

Patients are also consumers.  Especially in dentistry, where paying out-of-pocket is common, these consumers — especially younger ones — will be choosing less-invasive and less-costly procedures. What tools do dentists need to improve patient outcomes and maintain a healthy practice? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
marketresearch

Clear Aligners

Everyone’s heard of Invisalign(r) and SmileDirectClub(tm) by now.  That I can list both of these clear aligner manufacturers in the same sentence is amazing by itself.  Invisalign created this product category almost 20 years ago. SmileDirectClub has brought the idea of #teledentistry to the market.

SmileDirectClub may have led the charge, but now they have a few imitators:

There are other product categories moving in this direction too. I’ve seen direct-to-consumer custom night guards from Cheeky(r) and at-home veneers from TruSmile Veneers.

Any other surprising direct-to-consumer dental products out there? Tell me about it in the comments.