The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will host the third annual World Energy Storage Conference Nov. 5 to 8, when scientists, engineers and policymakers from around the world will assemble.
Many plants produce chemicals to protect themselves from being eaten. But how do they protect themselves from these chemicals? To understand this, researchers studied a chemical (diterpene glycosides) produced by wild tobacco plants. They found that these substances were stored in a non-toxic form inside the plant and when the insect feeds on it, the non-toxic molecule cleaves off and the chemical turns toxic.
Garnet sand beach on Goodenough Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. (Photo credit: Professor Paul Fitzgerald)
History written in sands
18th January 2021 10:03 am 18th January 2021 10:03 am
Bioengineers have shown that a biodegradable magnesium-alloy tracheal stent can successfully help children with paediatric laryngotracheal stenosis – LTS – to breath more easily.
Researchers demonstrate for the first time the successful use of a completely biodegradable magnesium-alloy tracheal stent, pictured, that safely degrades over the course of eight weeks and does not require removal (Image: Materialise)
LTS is a narrowing of the airway in children that can result in a life-threatening emergency if untreated.
Depending on the severity of LTS, doctors will use a combination of endoscopic techniques, surgical repair, tracheostomy, or deployment of stents to hold the airway open and enable breathing.
Magnesium alloy stent could biodegrade within the body imeche.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from imeche.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Novel biodegradable magnesium-alloy tracheal stents for children with airway obstruction
Pediatric laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS), a narrowing of the airway in children, is a complex medical condition. While it can be something a child is born with or caused by injury, the condition can result in a life-threatening emergency if untreated.
Treatment, however, is challenging. Depending on the severity, doctors will use a combination of endoscopic techniques, surgical repair, tracheostomy, or deployment of stents to hold the airway open and enable breathing.
While stents are great at holding the airway open and simultaneously allowing the trachea to continue growing, they can move around, or cause damage when they re eventually removed. New research published in