ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

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• Dinosaur skull may reveal T. rex's smaller cousin from the north
• Europe's resilience of natural gas networks during conflicts and crises probed with maths
• Language 'evolution' may shed light on human migration out-of-Beringia: Relationship between Siberian, North American languages
• Countering caregiver placebo effect in pets
• Water-rich gem points to vast 'oceans' beneath Earth's surface, study suggests
• New fossil species: Origin of toothed whale echolocation
• Key heart failure culprit discovered in tiny piece of RNA
• Building new drugs just got easier
• 'Master regulator' of obesity? Distant IRX3 gene appears to interact with obesity-related FTO gene mutations
• Microbes help to battle infection: Gut microbes help develop immune cells, study finds
• Material rivaling graphene may be mined out of rocks
• Bacterium, fungus team up to cause virulent tooth decay in toddlers
• Large study identifies exact gut bacteria involved in Crohn's disease
• Could grapefruit be good for your kidneys?
• Happiness and mitigation of climate change: Economic degrowth compatible with wellbeing if work stability is maintained
• Bighead carp: From 5 to 150 centimeters in 37 million years
• A plague of fleas: Tiny Eurasian exotic is upending watery ecosystems across the northern Great Lakes
• Pancreatic cancer growth slowed by blocking key enzyme
• Bucking conventional wisdom, researchers find black sea bass tougher than expected
• Methodology for authenticating canned tuna species within 24 hours
• Laser and radar unveil the secrets of Roman bridges
• Type 1 diabetes: Gut microbiota networks may influence autoimmune processes
• New fossil find: Precursor of European rhinos found in Vietnam
• Parasites in humans influence each other via shared food sources
• Transformation and flocculation of riverine organic matter in estuaries
• Lignin breakthroughs serve as GPS for plant research
• Crowdsourced rain samples map Hurricane Sandy's evolution
• Glucosamine fails to prevent deterioration of knee cartilage, decrease pain
• New laboratories to foster world-leading research into air quality, climate change
• Detecting, testing, treating rare diseases: Technology delivers new era of personalization
• Claim that raw milk reduces lactose intolerance doesn't pass smell test, study finds
• Bread, cereal drive UK children's high salt diet
• A tale of two data sets: New DNA analysis strategy helps researchers cut through the dirt
• Shade will be a precious resource to lizards in a warming world

Dinosaur skull may reveal T. rex's smaller cousin from the north Posted: 12 Mar 2014 03:20 PM PDT A 70-million-year-old fossil found in the Late Cretaceous sediments of Alaska reveals a new small tyrannosaur. Tyrannosaurs, the lineage of carnivorous theropod ("beast feet") dinosaurs that include T. rex, have captivated our attention, but the majority of our knowledge about this group comes from fossils from low- to mid-latitudes of North America and Asia. In this study, scientists analyzed the partial skull roof, maxilla, and jaw, recovered from Prince Creek Formation in Northern Alaska, of a dinosaur originally believed to belong to a different species, and then compared the fossils to known tyrannosaurine species.

Europe's resilience of natural gas networks during conflicts and crises probed with maths Posted: 12 Mar 2014 03:20 PM PDT Gas networks in Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine and Belarus are less resilient than the UK during conflicts and crises, according to new research from mathematicians. A decentralized approach to managing congestion on gas pipeline networks could be crucial for energy security during geopolitical conflicts or natural disasters, research suggests.

Language 'evolution' may shed light on human migration out-of-Beringia: Relationship between Siberian, North American languages Posted: 12 Mar 2014 03:20 PM PDT Evolutionary analysis applied to the relationship between North American and Central Siberian languages may indicate that people moved out from the Bering Land Bridge, with some migrating back to central Asia and others into North America.

Countering caregiver placebo effect in pets Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:02 PM PDT How do you know that your pet is benefiting from its pain medication? A new clinical trial design could help overcome pet owners' unconscious observation bias and determine whether the drugs they test are effective. "In veterinary medicine, we're one step removed from the patient, and so we run into what we call the 'caregiver placebo effect,' which is how we refer to a number of factors that result in unconscious influence on owners' responses," says a researcher. "Merely observing behavior can change it, and any changes in daily routine, like administering medication, will affect the way you relate to that animal and change its behavior." This makes controlling for the placebo effect more difficult, and even the most sensitive detection techniques still have trouble distinguishing between the real and the placebo effect.

Water-rich gem points to vast 'oceans' beneath Earth's surface, study suggests Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:02 PM PDT The first terrestrial discovery of ringwoodite confirms the presence of massive amounts of water 400 to 700 kilometers beneath Earth's surface. Ringwoodite is a form of the mineral peridot, believed to exist in large quantities under high pressures in the transition zone. Ringwoodite has been found in meteorites but, until now, no terrestrial sample has ever been unearthed because scientists haven't been able to conduct fieldwork at extreme depths.

New fossil species: Origin of toothed whale echolocation Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:01 PM PDT A new fossil species, Cotylocara macei, shows evidence of echolocation and the complex anatomy underlying this unique behavior that has evolved in toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises. "Its dense bones and air sinuses would have helped this whale focus its vocalizations into a probing beam of sound, which likely helped it find food at night or in muddy water ocean waters," said the lead author.

Key heart failure culprit discovered in tiny piece of RNA Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:01 PM PDT A small, but powerful, new player in the onset and progression of heart failure has been discovered by cardiovascular researchers. The researchers have also shown how they successfully blocked the newly discovered culprit to halt the debilitating and chronic life-threatening condition in its tracks.

Building new drugs just got easier Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT A method for modifying organic molecules has been developed that significantly expands the possibilities for developing new pharmaceuticals and improving old ones. The innovation makes it easier to modify existing organic compounds by attaching biologically active "functional group" to drug molecules. A typical small-molecule drug derives its activity from such functional groups, which are bound to a relatively simple backbone structure consisting chiefly of carbon atoms.

'Master regulator' of obesity? Distant IRX3 gene appears to interact with obesity-related FTO gene mutations Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:00 PM PDT Mutations within the gene FTO have been implicated as the strongest genetic determinant of obesity risk in humans, but the mechanism behind this link remained unknown. Now, an international team of scientists has discovered that the obesity-associated elements within FTO interact with IRX3, a distant gene on the genome that appears to be the functional obesity gene. The FTO gene itself appears to have only a peripheral effect on obesity.

Microbes help to battle infection: Gut microbes help develop immune cells, study finds Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:26 AM PDT Beneficial gut bacteria are necessary for the development of innate immune cells -- specialized types of white blood cells that serve as the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens -- new research has found. The research suggests that a healthy population of gut microbes can actually provide a preventative alternative to antibiotics.

Material rivaling graphene may be mined out of rocks Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:26 AM PDT Will one-atom-thick layers of molybdenum disulfide, a compound that occurs naturally in rocks, prove to be better than graphene for electronic applications? There are many signs that might prove to be the case. But physicists have shown that the nature of the phenomena occurring in layered materials are still ill-understood and require further research.

Bacterium, fungus team up to cause virulent tooth decay in toddlers Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:26 AM PDT Early childhood caries, a highly aggressive and painful form of tooth decay that frequently occurs in preschool children, especially from backgrounds of poverty, may result from a nefarious partnership between a bacterium and a fungus, according to new research. The resulting tooth decay can be so severe that treatment frequently requires surgery -- in the operating room.

Large study identifies exact gut bacteria involved in Crohn's disease Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:26 AM PDT While the causes of Crohn's disease are not well understood, recent research indicates an important role for an abnormal immune response to the microbes that live in the gut. In the largest study of its kind, researchers have now identified specific bacteria that are abnormally increased or decreased when Crohn's disease develops. The findings suggest which microbial metabolites could be targeted to treat patients with this chronic and currently incurable inflammatory bowel disease.

Could grapefruit be good for your kidneys? Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:24 AM PDT A natural product found in grapefruit can prevent kidney cysts from forming, new research indicates. Naringenin, which is also present in other citrus fruits, has been found to successfully block the formation of kidney cysts, an effect that occurs in polycystic kidney disease, by regulating the PKD2 protein responsible for the condition. With few treatments currently available, symptoms include high blood pressure and loss of kidney function, and lead to the need for dialysis.

Happiness and mitigation of climate change: Economic degrowth compatible with wellbeing if work stability is maintained Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:23 AM PDT Policies aimed at effectively mitigating climate change through a reduction in economic growth and consumption of fossil fuels would have a monetary impact on the economy, but also an impact on the wellbeing and happiness of individuals. Researchers have taken advantage of the current economic crisis to analyze the impact this situation would have.

Bighead carp: From 5 to 150 centimeters in 37 million years Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:47 AM PDT During excavations in the open lignite-mining pit Na Duong in Vietnam, scientists discovered the world's oldest bighead carp. With a length of only 5 centimeters, Planktophaga minuta is also the smallest known fossil representative of this East Asian group. Modern bighead carp are among the largest members of the carp family, reaching a length of up to 1.5 meters and a weight of 50 kilograms.

A plague of fleas: Tiny Eurasian exotic is upending watery ecosystems across the northern Great Lakes Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:46 AM PDT The spiny water flea, aka Bythotrephes, is devouring its way through the Great Lakes and into the surrounding inland waters, including Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park, disrupting an entire ecosystem from the bottom up.

Pancreatic cancer growth slowed by blocking key enzyme Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:34 AM PDT Blocking the function of an enzyme known as Hhat slows the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer by preventing a protein called Hedgehog from stimulating nearby normal cells to help the cancer, reserach shows. The study examined the role of Hedgehog, whose usual job is to send signals to cells in embryos to divide and grow into the correct body parts. But while Hedgehog usually switches off when the embryo is formed, in many cancers, including pancreatic, it becomes abnormally reactivated.

Bucking conventional wisdom, researchers find black sea bass tougher than expected Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:33 AM PDT In a new study, fisheries researchers found that black sea bass can usually survive the physical trauma that results from being hauled up from deep water then released at the surface. The finding is part of a larger study of the fish's mortality rate, which will inform stock assessments designed to help ensure that the black sea bass fishery is sustainable.

Methodology for authenticating canned tuna species within 24 hours Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:31 AM PDT Scientists have developed a new method to authenticate canned tuna, which allows you to check if a product is albacore tuna, yellowfin or bigeye tuna, and others tuna species within 24 hours. So far, the genetic methods for establishing proper DNA identification used to take several days to produce some conclusive results. This innovative methodology is of great interest for the canning industry and is a tool that can help to authenticate what it says on the label.

Laser and radar unveil the secrets of Roman bridges Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:26 AM PDT Discovering hidden arches, visualizing the sloped outline characteristic of the medieval period, finding a Renaissance engraving on a Roman arch or detecting restorations: these are some of the results that have been obtained in a recent study of more than 80 roman and medieval bridges. The assessment was carried out with the help of a ground-penetrating radar, a laser scanner and mathematical models, technology that benefit conservation.

Type 1 diabetes: Gut microbiota networks may influence autoimmune processes Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:25 AM PDT The interactions of the gut microbiota in children with typical diabetes autoantibodies differ from that in healthy children. The fact that these differences already exist before antibodies are detectable in the blood adds to the growing evidence that microbial DNA, the so-called microbiome, may be involved in the development of autoimmune processes.

New fossil find: Precursor of European rhinos found in Vietnam Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:25 AM PDT Scientists have recovered fossils of two previously unknown mammal species that lived about 37 million years ago. The newly described mammals show a surprisingly close relationship to prehistoric species known from fossil sites in Europe. The location: The open lignite-mining Na Duong in Vietnam. Here, the team of scientists was also able to make a series of further discoveries, including three species of fossilized crocodiles and several new turtles.

Parasites in humans influence each other via shared food sources Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:25 AM PDT Over 1,400 species of parasites -- viruses, bacteria, fungi, intestinal worms and protozoa -- are able to infect humans. In most cases, the right medicine against a parasite cures the patient. If he or she suffers from an infection by two or more species of parasite at the same time, however, it soon becomes more difficult to diagnose and treat. Medication can even exacerbate the medical condition if one pathogen is killed off but the second flourishes. One reason is the little-understood interactions between the parasites that reside in the same host.

Transformation and flocculation of riverine organic matter in estuaries Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:24 AM PDT Microbes and the salt in sea water significantly shape organic matter transported by rivers to their estuaries, clarifies researchers. Researchers investigated changes in riverine dissolved organic matter in the Baltic Sea's estuaries.

Lignin breakthroughs serve as GPS for plant research Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:46 PM PDT By thoroughly mapping a single specialized tissue involved in wood formation, scientists have developed the equivalent of turn-by-turn directions for future plant scientists to understand how plants adapt to the environment and to improve plants' productivity and biofuel potential. Lignin, an important and complex polymer responsible for plant growth and development, provides mechanical strength and water transport that enables some trees to grow 100 meters tall. However, lignin must be removed for biofuel, pulp and paper production-a process that involves harsh chemicals and expensive treatments.

Crowdsourced rain samples map Hurricane Sandy's evolution Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:46 PM PDT As the climate changes in the 21st century, more hurricanes may stray farther north along the eastern seaboard, like Superstorm Sandy did. During Sandy, researchers used crowdsourcing to collect the largest ever dataset of hurricane rain waters and analyze the storm's isotopic fingerprint.

Glucosamine fails to prevent deterioration of knee cartilage, decrease pain Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:11 AM PDT Oral glucosamine supplementation is not associated with a lessening of knee cartilage deterioration among individuals with chronic knee pain, a short-term study found. Findings indicate that glucosamine does not decrease pain or improve knee bone marrow lesions -- more commonly known as bone bruises and thought to be a source of pain in those with osteoarthritis.

New laboratories to foster world-leading research into air quality, climate change Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:07 AM PDT New laboratories will allow researchers to tackle current and emerging atmospheric chemistry issues in an integrated way, enabling world-leading contributions to the science of air quality, ozone depletion and climate change. The laboratories include facilities for trace gas measurements and chemical metrology; studies of aerosol and gas phase processes; atmosphere-biosphere exchange, and computer modelling of chemical mechanisms and atmospheric transport.

Detecting, testing, treating rare diseases: Technology delivers new era of personalization Posted: 11 Mar 2014 07:04 AM PDT Specialists in identifying and treating very rare diseases have used three innovative tools to detect a previously unknown gene mutation, test potential therapies in the lab, and initiate personalized drug treatment for a boy with a lifelong history of uncontrollable seizures that caused significant impact on his cognitive and social development.

Claim that raw milk reduces lactose intolerance doesn't pass smell test, study finds Posted: 10 Mar 2014 03:28 PM PDT Some sour news for lactose-intolerant people who hoped that raw milk might prove easier to stomach than pasteurized milk: A pilot study shows little difference in digestibility between the two. The study was small -- it involved 16 participants -- but the lead investigator said the results were highly consistent among all the participants and deflate some of the claims surrounding raw, or unpasteurized, milk.

Bread, cereal drive UK children's high salt diet Posted: 10 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT Children in London eat an unhealthy amount of salt, with a third of it coming from breads and cereals. In the largest UK study to date measuring children's salt consumption, researchers found that teens ate more salt than that country recommends for adults. On average, kids in all age groups eat more salt than the American Heart Association recommends.

A tale of two data sets: New DNA analysis strategy helps researchers cut through the dirt Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:22 PM PDT Researchers have published the largest soil DNA sequencing effort to date. What has emerged in this first of the studies to come from this project is a simple, elegant solution to sifting through the deluge of information gleaned, as well as a sobering reality check on just how hard a challenge these environments will be.

Shade will be a precious resource to lizards in a warming world Posted: 10 Mar 2014 12:22 PM PDT Climate change may even test lizards' famous ability to tolerate and escape the heat -- making habitat protection increasingly vital -- according to a new study by international biodiversity experts.

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