ScienceDaily: Top Science News

---

• 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
• Bighead carp: From 5 to 150 centimeters in 37 million years
• VLT spots largest yellow hypergiant star: Mix of new and old observations reveals exotic binary system
• New fossil find: Precursor of European rhinos found in Vietnam
• Acoustic cloaking device hides objects from sound
• Long-term warming likely to be significant despite recent slowdown
• New gene for bipolar disorder discovered

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.

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.

VLT spots largest yellow hypergiant star: Mix of new and old observations reveals exotic binary system Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:27 AM PDT The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has revealed the largest yellow star -- and one of the 10 largest stars found so far. This hypergiant has been found to measure more than 1,300 times the diameter of the Sun, and to be part of a double star system, with the second component so close that it is in contact with the main star. Observations spanning over 60 years also indicate that this remarkable object is changing very rapidly.

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.

Acoustic cloaking device hides objects from sound Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:47 PM PDT Engineers have demonstrated the world's first three-dimensional acoustic cloak. The new device reroutes sound waves to create the impression that the cloak and anything beneath it are not there. The phenomenon works in all three dimensions, no matter which direction the sound is coming from or where the observer is located, and holds potential for future applications such as sonar avoidance and architectural acoustics.

Long-term warming likely to be significant despite recent slowdown Posted: 11 Mar 2014 03:47 PM PDT A new study shows Earth's climate likely will continue to warm during this century on track with previous estimates, despite the recent slowdown in the rate of global warming. The research hinges on a new and more detailed calculation of the sensitivity of Earth's climate to the factors that cause it to change, such as greenhouse gas emissions. The study found Earth is likely to experience roughly 20 percent more warming than estimates that were largely based on surface temperature observations during the past 150 years.

New gene for bipolar disorder discovered Posted: 11 Mar 2014 09:39 AM PDT First on top of the world and then in the depths of despair – this is what the extreme mood changes for people with bipolar disorder are like. Two new gene regions that are connected with the prevalent disease have been discovered by an international collaboration of researchers. In addition, they were able to confirm three additional suspect genes. In this unparalleled worldwide study, the scientists are utilizing unprecedented numbers of patients.

You are subscribed to email updates from All Top News -- ScienceDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610