Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) was widely performed in 1990s as a surgical therapeutic procedure to improve snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, LAUP is not currently recommended as a treatment for OSA because the evidence for its efficacy is insufficient. Little is known about alternative minimally invasive surgery in patients who refuse continuous positive airway p...

The use of local antibiotics from a biodegradable implant for chronic osteomyelitis is an attractive alternative. The implant delivers high tissue levels, obliterates dead space, aids bone repair and does not need to be removed. The purpose of this paper is to review our early clinical experience with custom-made calcium sulfate (Osteoset bone void filler) antibiotic-impregnated implants.

PURPOSE This clinical study using a specific technique was carried out to determine the clinical effectiveness of zygomatic implants under an immediate loading protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients treated between May 2000 and October 2006 who received zygomatic implants were included in this retrospective analysis. All patients were treated using the same surgical and restorative prot...

Plastic waste is increasing every year and the precise time needed for biodegradation is unknown. Environmental awareness has driven the development of new biodegradable materials, especially for single use plastic items. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), biodegradable thermoplastic polyester is emerging out as a boon to overcome the problem of plastic waste accumulation. However, it has some drawback...

The introduction of biodegradable implant materials as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures in medicine has substantially improved health care within the past few decades. This report describes a group of degradable thermoplastic polymers that are able to change their shape after an increase in temperature. Their shape-memory capability enables bulky implants to be placed in the body ...

BACKGROUND Slow-degrading, fossil fuel-derived plastics can have deleterious effects on the environment, especially marine ecosystems. The production of bio-based, biodegradable plastics from or in plants can assist in supplanting those manufactured using fossil fuels. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is one such biodegradable polyester that has been evaluated as a possible candidate for relinquishing...

In this study, we evaluated the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus PLO6 using oxo-biodegradable plastics as a carbon and energy source. Oxo-biodegradable polymers contain pro-oxidants that accelerate their physical and biological degradation. These polymers were developed to decrease the accumulation of plastic waste in landfills. To study the degradation of the plastic polymers, oxo-biodegradable p...

Petroleum-based synthetic plastics used for making consumer articles constitute the largest non-renewable source of municipal solid waste in the United States. Containers and packaging products represent the largest group within plastic waste in municipal landfills. Efforts are being made worldwide to search for renewable and biodegradable substitutes for non-biodegradable plastics. Starch from...

Packaging waste forms a significant part of municipal solid waste and has caused increasing environmental concerns, resulting in a strengthening of various regulations aimed at reducing the amounts generated. Among other materials, a wide range of oil-based polymers is currently used in packaging applications. These are virtually all non-biodegradable, and some are difficult to recycle or reuse...