A standardized method to determine the effect of polymerization shrinkage on the cusp deflection and shrinkage induced built-in stress of class II tooth models.

Objectives: Using standardized aluminum tooth models, this study: 1) measured the deflection along the cusp wall of models with a Class II cavity restored using either bulk filling or horizontal incremental filling techniques, and 2) calculated the cusp deflection and built-in stress within the restored tooth models for both filling techniques using a finite element (FE) model.

Methods: Standardized tooth models with Class II cavities 4 mm deep, 4 mm high and 6 mm wide were machined out of aluminum. The models were restored using Filtek Posterior Restorative A2 shade resin-based composite (RBC).

Insights into the IgG heavy chain engineering patent landscape as applied to IgG4 antibody development.

Despite being the least abundant immunoglobulin G in human plasma, IgG4 are used therapeutically when weak effector functions are needed. The increase in engineered IgG4-based antibodies on the market led us to study the patent landscape of IgG4 Fc engineering, ., patents claiming modifications in the heavy chain.

New structural formats of therapeutic antibodies for rheumatology.

Pharmaceutical companies strive continuously to develop better medications in order to remain competitive. In the arena of monoclonal antibodies and related biologics (fusion proteins containing an IgG Fc fragment), the thrust is not only toward identifying new targets, but also toward developing new molecular formats. Here, new-generation antibodies used to treat rheumatic diseases are discussed, with emphasis on relations linking structure to pharmacological effects and on the improvements expected from the new formats.

Rethinking the INN system for therapeutic antibodies.

In the context of a possible revision of the International Nonproprietary Names (INN) system of recombinant monoclonal antibodies, which is saturated, we propose several avenues of reflection driven by the primary goal of the INN, information of health-care professionals. Clinical considerations argue for an abandon of the substems A (target category) and B (origin category), which lengthen the INN without real added-value. On the contrary, new substems or suffixes are required to alert on the absence/presence of an Fc portion and/or multispecificity, which are essential from a pharmacological point of view.

Modelling plant species distribution in alpine grasslands using airborne imaging spectroscopy.

Remote sensing using airborne imaging spectroscopy (AIS) is known to retrieve fundamental optical properties of ecosystems. However, the value of these properties for predicting plant species distribution remains unclear. Here, we assess whether such data can add value to topographic variables for predicting plant distributions in French and Swiss alpine grasslands.