Mechanical Engineering Biomedical engineering

A new technique allows researchers to map how the cellular ‘skeleton’ adapts to external stress.

Hunting for supermassive black holes, Coastal survival at risk, Calcium and dead cell clean-up, Two naps are better than one & Pineapple leaf prosthetics. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.

In this collaborative project between Newcastle University and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), the team aimed to create a sustainable, cost-effective lower limb prosthetic socket (LLPS) using natural fiber-reinforced composites. The objectives included designing a green LLPS, assessing its environmental impact, and engaging stakeholders. Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PALF) was chosen for sustainability. The project has also inspired worldwide interest in sustainable LLPS development through a press release, receiving inquiries from students at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a group of 7th graders in the USA.

Acute kidney injuries can sometimes trigger the deterioration of small blood vessels and capillaries, leading to chronic kidney disease. But, this process is not completely understood. Now, for the first time, researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, in collaboration with teams from the University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA, have successfully used ultrasound super-resolution (USR) imaging to observe this process in live mice, revealing the promise of USR as a powerful diagnostic and research tool, and enhancing understanding of the disease.