Stanford, CA, USA. A method for reconnecting severed blood vessels appears to be an effective alternative to traditional procedures that use sutures, with potential application to lateral research on tissue generation, particularly on blood vessels less than 1 millimeter wide.

In animal studies, the medical scientists used a poloxamer gel and bioadhesive rather than a needle and thread to join together blood vessels, a procedure called vascular anastomosis.

Berkeley, CA, USA. New research shows that at microscopic dimensions, the age-related loss of bone quality can be every bit as important as the loss of quantity in the susceptibility of bone to fracturing.

Our bones become more brittle and prone to fracturing as we grow older. It is well established that loss of mass is a major reason for older bones fracturing more readily than younger bones, hence medical treatments have focused on slowing down this loss.