Scientists provide structural insights into NaV1.7 modulation by inhibitors, to block pain signals to the brain
Chronic pain is an extremely common condition that affects about 20% of the general population. Given the shortage of effective and non-addictive analgesics, new anti-pain drugs are eagerly awaited. Voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7 plays an essent.....»»
Molecular-motor specialists deepen our understanding of the rotary ion pump of the cell
A team of specialists in nano-sized rotational motors have directly visualized the process of pumping sodium ions, enabling them to explain why there had up until now appeared to be a structural symmetry mismatch between two motors that make up part.....»»
Plants can measure the intensity of salt stress
Unfavorable environmental conditions represent considerable stress for plants. A high level of salt content (sodium chloride, NaCl) in the soil is just such a stressor that has a negative impact on plants. Salinization is a serious problem in agricul.....»»
Air-stability of sodium-based layered-oxide cathode materials
Sodium ion batteries are considered to be one of the most promising alternative systems to lithium-ion batteries, especially for large scale applications. Sodium-based transition-metal oxides with layered structure have been the focus of studies, due.....»»
Researchers seem to stumble across an electrolyte for a sodium battery
Sodium is cheap and plentiful, but its use in batteries brings some challenges. Enlarge / Sodium metal will react with something in just about any environment it encounters on Earth. Here, a fresh cut shows how extensive its reactions.....»»
Modeling electrolyte transport in water-rich exoplanets
Oceans on water-rich exoplanets may be enriched with electrolytes, including salts such as sodium chloride, suggests a modeling study published in Nature Communications. The research proposes electrolytes can be transported from the rocky core of the.....»»
Solar wind a major driver of atmospheric sodium at Mercury
No object in the solar system experiences the sun's solar wind more powerfully than Mercury. The planet's magnetic field deflects the sun's stream of electrically charged particles at a distance of only 1,000 kilometers from Mercury's surface, a poin.....»»
Powered chopsticks use electricity to make food taste 50% saltier
Researchers' electric chopsticks claim to increase perceived saltiness of food. Enlarge (credit: Getty) According to the FDA, the average American eats 3,400 mg of sodium a day, despite the Dietary Guidelines for Americans re.....»»
Field study shows pollinators prefer saltier nectar
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S., has found adding sodium to floral nectar increased both visits by pollinators and their diversity. In their paper published in the journal Biology Letters, the group describes h.....»»
Reliance bets on sodium-ion batteries
Reliance Group announced last year that it would start developing green energy. Notably, its energy storage systems are sodium-based rather than lithium-based. As demand for lithium surges and supply falls short, sodium is a low-cost alternative read.....»»
Study reveals topology at the corner of the dining table
A joint research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the University of Tokyo discovered an unusual topological aspect of sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, which will not only facilitate the understand.....»»
Sodium Batteries May Power Your New Electric Car
As EV sales increase, supplies of lithium may get tight. So some companies are incorporating cells with sodium, which provides almost as big a charge......»»
Your smile"s cosmic history: We discovered the origin of fluoride in early galaxies
Look at the ingredients on a tube of toothpaste and you will probably read something like "contains sodium fluoride." Fluoride, as you probably know, is important for healthy teeth. It strengthens enamel, the hard, protective layer around a tooth, an.....»»
Sodium-cooled fast reactors and the future of nuclear energy
A new paper by Technical Director of the Generation IV International Forum, Gilles Rodriguez, published in the open-access journal EPJ Nuclear Sciences & Technologies, provides a comprehensive review of joint research into sodium-cooled fast reactors.....»»
Particle refinement induces and increases cycle capacity of sodium/lithium-ion batteries
Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have attracted wide attention owing to the advantages of abundant sodium source and low cost. Electrodes with higher Na+ storage capability and cycling stability are vital to improve the energy density and rate capability.....»»
Dissolved salt can reassemble at nanoscale, according to simulations
Any cook worth their salt knows that a dash of the stuff—which consists mostly of the compound sodium chloride—will dissolve when dropped into a pot of even room-temperature water......»»
Tesla Battery Supplier CATL Debuts Cheaper Sodium-Ion Batteries
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. unveiled a sodium-ion battery Thursday, a type of lower-density cell that uses cheaper raw materials than batteries made from lithium-ion metals. As well as a fir.....»»
Proliferation of electric vehicles based on high-performance, low-cost sodium-ion battery
Various automobile companies are preparing to shift from internal combustion (IC) engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). However, due to higher cost, EVs are not as easily accessible to consumers; hence, several governments are subsidizing EVs t.....»»
Metals from space descend on Boulder, Colorado, at dusk and dawn
Sodium and other metals from space make regular—and irregular—landfall on Earth. Enlarge / Morning sun against the foothills of Boulder, Colorado, business area and campus. (credit: Fred Langer Photography | Getty Images) Every day, the Su.....»»
Atmospheric metal layers appear with surprising regularity
Twice a day, at dusk and just before dawn, a faint layer of sodium and other metals begins sinking down through the atmosphere, about 90 miles high above the city of Boulder, Colorado. The movement was captured by one of the world's most sensitive "l.....»»