Παθήσεις αρθρικού χόνδρου: Νεότερες θεραπευτικές εξελίξεις

 Παθήσεις αρθρικού χόνδρου: Νεότερες θεραπευτικές εξελίξεις

Οι νεότερες θεραπευτικές εξελίξεις για τις παθήσεις αρθρικού χόνδρου είναι πολύ σημαντικές και απαλλάσσουν τον ασθενή από πόνο και ταλαιπωρία.

Ο αρθρικός χόνδρος είναι ένας λεπτός, λείος, μαλακός και ελαστικός υμένας, ο οποίος καλύπτει τις αρθρικές επιφάνειες των οστών και επιτρέπει την ομαλή και με ελάχιστη τριβή κίνηση των αρθρικών επιφανειών. Βασική του λειτουργία είναι η κατανομή των φορτίων και η μείωση των πιέσεων στο υποχόνδριο οστό (το οστό κάτω από τον χόνδρο).

 

Fusion-reactor instabilities can be optimized by adjusting plasma density and magnetic fields

04 Nov 2022

On edge: illustrative drawing of the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. (Courtesy: IPP/Mathias Dibon)

A way of controlling the size of instabilities in the plasma of fusion reactors has been discovered by an international team of researchers. Large instabilities can damage a reactor, while small instabilities could prove useful for removing waste helium from the plasma. Therefore, the discovery could provide important guidance for the operation of large-scale fusion reactors.

 

A periodic table for topological materials

01 Nov 2022 Margaret Harris

Materials that conduct electricity on their outsides, but not their insides, were once thought to be unusual. In fact, they’re ubiquitous, as Maia Vergniory of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, Germany, and colleagues recently demonstrated by identifying tens of thousands of them. She spoke to Margaret Harris about how the team created the Topological Materials Database and what it means for the field

Diagnosing topology: Materials simulation expert Maia Vergniory.

 

Humane solutions for the massive human migration caused by climate catastrophe

14 Nov 2022

Kate Gardner reviews Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval by Gaia Vince

Crisis times The Bangladeshi capital Dhaka is confronted by thousands of people who arrive every day, displaced by monsoons and flooding caused by climate change. (Courtesy: Shutterstock/SM AKBAR ALI PJ)

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is home to 10 million climate refugees – people who have been internally displaced as monsoons and flooding destroy homes and farmland. With another 2000 arriving in the city every day, it’s proof that human migration caused by climate catastrophe is already a reality and accelerating fast.

 

Replacing a pacemaker with a device the width of a human hair

01 Nov 2022

Cardiac patch: Schematic of the device, which comprises an array of pressure-sensitive transistors and biocompatible pacing electrodes with encapsulation layers. The device is attached to the epicardium using a hydrogel adhesive patch. (Courtesy: J C Hwang et al Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.abq08/CC BY-NC)

Scientists have fabricated and successfully tested an ultrathin patch-type cardiac device that can monitor a heartbeat and apply stimulations as necessary.

Currently, these functions are performed by bulky and intrusive devices such as pacemakers. While these were miracle machines for many decades, the surgery required to implant pacemakers is complicated and can be risky. The new device, on the other hand, has a unique adhesive that allows it to stick directly to a wet organ such as the heart.

 

Non-invasive neuromodulation improves motor function in children with cerebral palsy

09 Nov 2022 Natalie Rhodes

Non-invasive therapy: The set-up of the SCiP device, demonstrating the placement of the non-invasive electrodes over the cervical and thoracic regions of the spinal cord. (Courtesy: CC BY 4.0/Nat. Commun. 10.1038/s41467-022-33208-w)

Cerebral palsy (CP), a lifelong condition that impairs sensory and motor function, is the most common motor disability in childhood, affecting about one in 345 children in the US. The standard-of-care treatment for CP often includes activity-based neurorehabilitation therapy, orthopaedic exercises to strengthen groups of muscles and general exercise to sustain motor function through development.

 

Simulations shed light on fluid dynamics of the gut

14 Oct 2022

Balance the flow: Simulations reveal that the gut alternates between different patterns of contraction to optimize nutrient absorption while regulating the growth of bacteria inside the gut. (Courtesy: iStock/Oleksandra-Troian)

To maintain a healthy balance between nutrient absorption and bacteria populations, the human gut likely alternates between two distinct patterns of muscle contraction, according to a study by researchers in Germany and the US. Through simulations, a team led by Karen Alim at the Technical University of Munich showed that these patterns are intrinsically linked to the speed of fluid flowing through the gut.