ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Nanotechnology used to engineer ACL replacements Posted: 30 Dec 2014 10:28 AM PST A synthetic graft for ACL reconstruction has been developed that integrates with the native bone, promotes growth of new ligament tissue, and stabilizes the knee. Connecting the femur to the tibia, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most devastating injuries in sports. No other injury has sidelined more athletes for a season or even the rest of a career. And ACL sprains and tears affect more people than just the pros.

Gift-wrapped gas molecules Posted: 30 Dec 2014 08:18 AM PST A group of scientists has worked out how to stably gift-wrap a chemical gas known as nitric oxide within metal-organic frameworks. Such an encapsulated chemical may allow doctors to administer nitric oxide in a more highly controlled way to patients, suggesting new approaches for treating dangerous infections and heart conditions with the biologically-active substance.

Neutrinos can deliver not only full-on hits but also 'glancing blows' Posted: 30 Dec 2014 07:19 AM PST In what they call a 'weird little corner' of the already weird world of neutrinos, physicists have found evidence that these tiny particles might be involved in a surprising reaction. Neutrinos are famous for almost never interacting. As an example, ten trillion neutrinos pass through your hand every second, and fewer than one actually interacts with any of the atoms that make up your hand. However, when neutrinos do interact with another particle, it happens at very close distances and involves a high-momentum transfer.

A repulsive material: New hydrogel dominated by electrostatic repulsion Posted: 30 Dec 2014 07:19 AM PST In a world-first achievement, scientists have developed a new hydrogel whose properties are dominated by electrostatic repulsion, rather than attractive interactions.