Angulated Implants for Fabrication of Implant Supported Fixed Partial Denture in the Maxilla

Until recently, angled abutments have been the only solution to correcting the trajectory of the emergence profile of labially inclined implants in the maxilla. However, the clinical implications of angled abutments reveal several shortcomings. Newly designed angulated implants with a 12-degree restorative platform angulation are an alternative to angled abutments. The purpose of this article was to report a case utilizing new angulated implants (Co-axis, Keystone dental, Burlington, MA, USA) in the premaxilla thereby facilitating fabrication of a multi-unit implant retained fixed dental prosthesis

G92-1071 Ridge Plant Systems: Weed Control

Advantages and disadvantages of the ridge plant system, weed control before and at planting and economics of the system are discussed. Ridge planting combines tillage and herbicides to achieve improved weed control in row crops. Crop seed is planted into ridges formed during cultivation and/or ditching of the previous crop. In ridge planting, the planter follows the old row and ridge clearing sweeps or disks move the surface soil, residue and much of the weed seed out of the row. Weed seeds are deposited between the rows where, upon germination, they can be controlled with cultivation. Two cultivations are generally used for weed control. The first cultivation loosens the soil and the second rebuilds the ridge. The ridge plant system is well suited to furrow-irrigationd crops. It also works well with dryland crops or those under center pivot irrigation. On furrow irrigationd land, corn or sorghum stalks may need to be shredded to assist in decomposition and hence irrigation because crop residue slows water advance in the furrow. Slowing the water may be a benefit, however, on soils which have a low water intake rate. With center pivot and dryland acres the need for shredding depends on how much residue the cultivator can handle

G92-1071 Ridge Plant Systems: Weed Control

Advantages and disadvantages of the ridge plant system, weed control before and at planting and economics of the system are discussed. Ridge planting combines tillage and herbicides to achieve improved weed control in row crops. Crop seed is planted into ridges formed during cultivation and/or ditching of the previous crop. In ridge planting, the planter follows the old row and ridge clearing sweeps or disks move the surface soil, residue and much of the weed seed out of the row. Weed seeds are deposited between the rows where, upon germination, they can be controlled with cultivation. Two cultivations are generally used for weed control. The first cultivation loosens the soil and the second rebuilds the ridge. The ridge plant system is well suited to furrow-irrigationd crops. It also works well with dryland crops or those under center pivot irrigation. On furrow irrigationd land, corn or sorghum stalks may need to be shredded to assist in decomposition and hence irrigation because crop residue slows water advance in the furrow. Slowing the water may be a benefit, however, on soils which have a low water intake rate. With center pivot and dryland acres the need for shredding depends on how much residue the cultivator can handle

Governing sustainability transitions through business model innovation:Towards a systems understanding

This paper examines the role of innovative business models in the transformation of socio-technical systems. Focusing on decentralised energy technologies, we explore business model innovation in the context of a transition towards a more sustainable energy system. We conduct an empirical study of two Energy Services Company (ESCo) models for the deployment of combined heat and power with district heating (CHP/DH) infrastructure in the UK. Based on these case studies we illustrate the different ways in which Local Authorities develop business models to create and capture value from more efficient resource use and to deploy sustainable technologies. Drawing from systems theories in the business model and socio-technical literatures, we analyse the interfaces between business models, energy infrastructure and institutions. We propose that a systems based approach to the analysis of business models as embedded in their socio-technical contexts can offer new insights into the dynamics and governance of sustainability transitions

Fine sediment transport and management

This chapter considers the key concepts to develop an improved understanding of the fine sediment loads of rivers. The key concepts are non‐capacity and supply‐controlled nature of fine sediment transport, the significance of grain size, sediment composition and composite particles, the importance of sediment source and the need to view the fine sediment load of a river as a component of the overall catchment sediment budget. The chapter reviews the fine sediment loads of rivers which have been paralleled by the development of a range of tools for meeting requirements for new information. It discusses improved monitoring techniques and equipment, sediment source fingerprinting, sediment tracing and modelling fine sediment yields across a range of temporal and spatial scales and for a range of purposes. The growing awareness of the environmental significance of fine sediment, and particularly its ecological importance, is directing increasing attention to sediment management in river catchments

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2–4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

CSR Business as Usual? The Case of the Tobacco Industry

Tobacco companies have started to position themselves as good corporate citizens. The effort towards CSR engagement in the tobacco industry is not only heavily criticized by anti-tobacco NGOs. Some opponents such as the the World Health Organization have even categorically questioned the possibility of social responsibility in the tobacco industry. The paper will demonstrate that the deep distrust towards tobacco companies is linked to the lethal character of their products and the dubious behavior of their representatives in recent decades. As a result, tobacco companies are not in the CSR business in the strict sense. Key aspects of mainstream CSR theory and practice such as corporate philanthropy, stakeholder collaboration, CSR reporting and self-regulation, are demonstrated to be ineffective or even counterproductive in the tobacco industry. Building upon the terminology used in the leadership literature, the paper proposes to differentiate between transactional and transformational CSR arguing that tobacco companies can only operate on a transactional level. As a consequence, corporate responsibility in the tobacco industry is based upon a much thinner approach to CSR and has to be conceptualized with a focus on transactional integrity across the tobacco supply chain

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease