ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

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• Water molecules control inactivation and recovery of potassium channels
• Speed limit set for ultrafast electrical switch
• New knowledge about permafrost improving climate models
• Breakthrough in detecting DNA mutations could help treat tuberculosis, cancer
• Human stem cell-derived hepatocytes regenerate liver function
• New drug targets for aggressive breast cancer
• Migraines associated with variations in structure of brain arteries
• Good eating and sleep habits help kids succeed in school
• A new coral reef species from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia
• Database simplifies finding Canadian plant names and distribution

Water molecules control inactivation and recovery of potassium channels Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:40 AM PDT Just 12 molecules of water cause the long post-activation recovery period required by potassium ion channels before they can function again. Using molecular simulations that modeled a potassium channel and its immediate cellular environment, atom for atom, scientists have revealed this new mechanism in the function of a nearly universal biological structure, with implications ranging from fundamental biology to the design of pharmaceuticals.

Speed limit set for ultrafast electrical switch Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:40 AM PDT Researchers have clocked the fastest-possible electrical switching in magnetite, a naturally magnetic mineral. Their results could drive innovations in the tiny transistors that control the flow of electricity across silicon chips, enabling faster, more powerful computing devices.

New knowledge about permafrost improving climate models Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:40 AM PDT New research findings document that permafrost during thawing may result in a substantial release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and that the future water content in the soil is crucial to predict the effect of permafrost thawing. The findings may lead to more accurate climate models in the future.

Breakthrough in detecting DNA mutations could help treat tuberculosis, cancer Posted: 28 Jul 2013 10:38 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new method that can look at a specific segment of DNA and pinpoint a single mutation, which could help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis.

Human stem cell-derived hepatocytes regenerate liver function Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:17 PM PDT Researchers have generated functional hepatocytes from human stem cells, transplanted them into mice with acute liver injury, and shown the ability of these stem-cell derived human liver cells to function normally and increase survival of the treated animals.

New drug targets for aggressive breast cancer Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:17 PM PDT Scientists have identified genes that are potential targets for therapeutic drugs against aggressive breast cancer.

Migraines associated with variations in structure of brain arteries Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:17 PM PDT The network of arteries supplying blood flow to the brain is more likely to be incomplete in people who suffer migraine, a new study reports. Variations in arterial anatomy lead to asymmetries in cerebral blood flow that might contribute to the process triggering migraines.

Good eating and sleep habits help kids succeed in school Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:15 PM PDT A good night's sleep and filling breakfast means more for your child's academic performance than you may think.

A new coral reef species from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:33 AM PDT A new shallow water coral species, Echinophyllia tarae sp. n., is described from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia. Scleractinia, also called stony corals, are exclusively marine animals; they are very similar to sea anemones but generate a hard skeleton. This coral was observed in muddy environments where several colonies showed partial mortality and re-growth.

Database simplifies finding Canadian plant names and distribution Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:33 AM PDT Determining the correct name of plants present in a particular area is often a chore to users of biodiversity information. VASCAN, the Database of Vascular plants of Canada, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenland, simplifies the task of finding such names, as well as the plant distribution at a regional level for all vascular plants established in the area covered.

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