Teams at Texas A&M say they've got some innovative options for wound care
According to biomedical engineers, an injectable bandage made from seaweed and clay could stop internal bleeding in minutes. The teams at Texas A&M say the bandage also helps wounds heal faster.
So what is it exactly? The material that's injected into the body is comprised of a gelling agent made from seaweed and two-dimensional clay nanoparticles. They form what's called a hydrogel. It's a highly absorbent jelly-like substance. It also can work well as a dressing for wounds.
A report on the research that produced it is published in the latest edition of the journal "Acta Biomaterialia."
- Read more about the study HERE.
Source: Science Alert
The book answers burning question on whether birds, sloths and even dinosaurs fart.
If you’ve ever pondered over which animals fart and which don’t, you are now in luck. The book “Does It Fart?: A Definitive Field Guide To Animal Flatulence” delves in to idea of animal farts, which was sparked by a simple tweet.
Co-author Dani Rabaiotti, a zoology student tweeted out a question her brother had asked her: “Do snakes fart?” In fact they do and her co-author Virginia Tech ecologist Nick Caruso saw the tweet and started the hashtag #DoesItFart, which then led to their book collab. The book discusses not only which animals fart, but why. So, which animals fart?
- Who farts? Orangutans, horses, elephants, rhinos, seals, zebras, and cows all pass gas at some point. Herring actually use their farts to communicate with each other and manatees use theirs to remain buoyant in the water.
- Who doesn't? Sloths rarely even poop-only every three weeks - and due to their slow digestion they don’t fart. Neither do parrots or octopuses.
- Who kind of farts? Whale farts have only been caught on camera a few times and salamanders rarely do it, too.
Perhaps the most important question: Did dinosaurs fart? It’s possible vegetarian dinosaurs had the gut bacteria for it. Rabaiotti says, “Those animals probably did fart and we’re pretty certain that they don’t fart anymore.”
Source: Vox
Distracted drivers cause a lot of fatal accidents and new report reveals what most people are distracted by
As we previously told you, distracted driving is the biggest danger on the road, and there are a lot of things that could be distracting us behind the wheel. According to a new report by Erie Insurance, more than 172,000 people were killed in car crashes in the past five years, with 10% of those crashes blamed on distracted drivers.
So, what is preventing us from focusing all our attention on the road? Well, the report finds that “day dreaming” is the biggest reason folks involved in fatal accidents were distracted behind the wheel, with 61% of drivers saying they were guilty of getting lost in thought while driving. Coming in second is cellphone use, whether it’s talking, listening, dialing or texting, something 14% of drivers involved in fatal accidents say they were guilty of.
Other distractions include:
- Outside person, object or event (like rubbernecking) - 6%
- Other occupants (talking with or looking at other people in car) - 5%
- Using or reaching for device brought into vehicle (such as navigational device, headphones) - 2%
- Adjusting audio or climate controls - 1%
- Eating or drinking - 1%
- Using other device/controls integral to vehicle, (adjusting rear view mirrors, seats, or using OEM navigation system) - 1%
- Moving object in vehicle, such as pet or insect - <1%
- Smoking related (includes smoking, lighting up, putting ashes in ashtray) - <1%
Source: Erie Insurance