Photo © Jason Bax
GLASSES TARGET BLUE LIGHT'S EFFECT ON CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS
BLUE LIGHT WAVELENGTHS contain more energy than other colors of light and, according to
Harvard Medical School researchers, interfere with circadian rhythm regulation by signifi-
cantly suppressing melatonin production.
Recognizing the problem this presents for a society deeply attached to screen-based
technology — smartphones and high-definition computer and television screens emit high
levels of blue light — Japanese eyewear company JINS has developed lenses that partially
block the blues. The JINS SCREEN for daytime use and JINS SCREEN NIGHT for after dark
filter out 25 percent and 60 percent of blue light, respectively.
Reviewing the JINS SCREEN NIGHT, medgadget.com states that the glasses "do a good
job preventing harsh light coming in while not impacting image quality significantly."
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IMPLANT COATING ENHANCES OSSEOINTEGRATION
SPINE SURGEONS COMMONLY rely on implants made of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) because
of the polymer's bonelike qualities, but the substance's poor bonding to bone tissue limits its
usefulness. Researchers from North Carolina State University, Cambridge University and
the University of Texas at San Antonio may have found a way around that problem.
Coating PEEK implants with yttria-stabilized zirconia and hydroxyapatite, the
researchers used microwaves to heat the implants and slow the dissolution of
implants' internal calcium phosphate. Tested in rabbits, the coated implants were
found to bond with bone tissue twice as extensively as uncoated PEEK implants.
The researchers note that all materials used in the coating are already approved by
the FDA for use in long-term implants, so the process of bringing the coated implants
to operating rooms may be swift.
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BY CONNER ARMSTRONG
M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C L E V E L A N D /A K R O N / C A N T O N
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