Latest Neurochemistry Stories
Market-Leading iPad App Developer missingSTEP Partners with Recognia for New App Specifically for the iPad with New Features and Unique Pattern Recognition San Francisco, Ca (PRWEB) July 29, 2011 missingSTEP today announced the launch of a new iPad app, "Stock Chart Patterns", one of the only apps to use Apple Inc.'s subscription offering as a standalone service. The app was built in partnership with Recognia and will provide users an intuitive investment research tool by automatically...
New insights may be relevant to sudden infant death syndromeResearchers have developed a toolkit that enables them to turn off targeted cell populations while leaving others unaffected.Led by Susan Dymecki, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, the group focused on serotonin-producing neurons, observing how mice behave in a normal environment when suddenly their serotonin neurons are turned down. While their findings affirm earlier studies, the researchers used a technique that...
BK channels (large-conductance, Ca2+-dependent K+ channels) are essential for the regulation of important biological processes such as smooth muscle tone and neuronal excitability. New research shows that BK channel activation involves structural rearrangements formerly not understood. The study appears in the August 2011 issue of the Journal of General Physiology.Previous research pointed to a possible unified theory of activation gating in K+ channels, with the "activation gate"...
Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz discover a mechanism that can protect from aging processesHumans are getting older and older, and the number of people with dementia is increasing. The factors controlling degeneration of the brain are still mostly unknown. However, researchers assume that factors such as stress, accumulation of toxic waste products as well as inflammation accelerate aging. But, vice versa, there are also mechanisms that can - like a bodyguard - protect the...
A new study may shed light on why some people have such a hard time eating only a few potato chips or a single fry.Researchers at University of California-Irvine found that fats in these foods make them nearly irresistible, and trigger a surprising biological mechanism that likely drives our nearly insatiable appetite for more.The apparent culprits are natural, marijuana-like chemicals in the body known as endocannabinoids. In their study, researchers Daniele Piomelli, Nicholas DiPatrizio and...
Binghamton University researcher Christof Grewer thinks he has an important brain transport protein "“ glutamate transporter "“ figured out. And he's using a novel approach to spy on them by taking aim with lasers.Grewer, a biophysical chemist, studies glutamate transport proteins, miniscule components of our brains that move glutamate among cells. Glutamate, an important molecule in cellular metabolism, is also a neurotransmitter. He explains his research on these tiny proteins in the...
UCI study helps explain why potato chips, french fries are complicit in weight gainRecent studies have revealed potato chips and french fries to be the worst contributors to weight gain "“ and with good reason. Have you ever wondered why you can't eat just one chip or a single fry? It's not just the carbohydrates at fault.UC Irvine researchers Daniele Piomelli, Nicholas DiPatrizio and colleagues found that fats in these foods make them nearly irresistible and trigger a surprising biological...
A protective molecule has been identified in the brain which, if used artificially, may prevent brain damage from the likes of stroke, head injury and Alzheimer's.By looking at what happens in the brain after an injury, new research has finally ended speculation over whether a key molecule, 'KCC2' causes brain cell death after an injury or prevents it. The finding, published today (16th May 2011) in The Journal of Physiology now opens the door to the development of artificial forms of the...
Research identifies novel metabolic signaling pathway in worms that coordinates the aging response to nutrient availabilityThere is no longer any doubt that dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan. Many studies have shown that limiting nutrient intake extends lifespan in yeast, worms, flies and as well as postponing age-related diseases in mice. However, scientists are still puzzling over the exact mechanism of DR, convinced its secrets are the key to new therapies for diseases such as...
The latest Perspectives in General Physiology series examines the ion selectivity of cation-selective channels and transporters. The series appears in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of General Physiology (www.jgp.org).According to Perspectives Editor Olaf Andersen in his introduction, a key tool in most recent studies on ion selectivity has been the so-called "toy models," which emphasize the fluid-like features of the selectivity filter and allow for the isolation of key...
