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The most complete dino yet uncovered gives researchers an unparalleled look at a Cretacean creature

Dakota is the name given to the remains of an Edmontosaurus discovered on a ranch in the Badlands in 1999. What sets Dakota apart from all but four other dinosaurs so far unearthed is its completeness. And not just its complete skeleton—nearly all of Dakota’s skin and soft tissues have been fossilized, which is an exceedingly rare discovery in paleontology. The perfect conditions had to exist at the time of the animal’s demise—being rapidly buried in substrate at just the right moisture level to bring about fossilization instead of decay.

Having recently been excavated from the ground, the five ton fossil was last month moved to the North Dakota state museum where scientists will spend at least a year working painstakingly to remove the sandstone in which the remains are trapped.

Researchers in the field are ecstatic with the prospect of getting the most complete look yet at the anatomy of these ancient animals. The quality and extent of the skin are proving to be unparalleled, even in comparison to the other three mummified specimens.

Via PhysOrg

Report predicts that 10 million baby boomers could develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime

The Alzheimer’s Association released a report yesterday with some frightening estimates regarding the future of the brain-wasting disease. One out of every eight baby boomers are likely to develop Alzheimer’s at some point, and the disease is now the seventh deadliest in the country.

By 2010, there will be 500,000 new cases each year. By 2050, that number will jump to a million. This means the costs of caring for these patients are, naturally, going to jump dramatically.

The report suggests that the Medicare burden will jump from $91 billion spent on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in 2005 to $189 billion by 2015. Which makes you think that the government is hustling to support researchers in search of a cure, or effective treatment, right? Not exactly. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the government has cut spending on the research. At the same time, other experts suggest that the Association’s numbers might be too aggressive.

Via Live Science

NIOSH teams hit restaurants to determine whether fake butter could be causing real harm

Last week scores of kitchen workers in New York met with researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to determine whether the fake butter sprays and spreads frequently utilized by the restaurant industry could be endangering workers’ respiratory health. A growing body of research has found diacetyl, a chemical compound frequently employed for its buttery taste, to be a potentially hazardous substance.

Diacetyl first gained attention when a handful of otherwise healthy workers in a microwave popcorn manufacturing plant contracted bronchiolitis obliterans—a rare and incurable lung disease. When scientists discovered diacetyl inhalation was the cause, “Popcorn Workers’ Lung” gained notoriety and unions began to call for greater government oversight. Most recently, the compound made headlines last year when one man’s unusual contraction of bronchiolitis obliterans was linked to a two-bag-a-day ten-year microwave popcorn habit.

So, given this chain of events, perhaps it is not surprising that last month Unite Here, a labor union representing food service employees, requested a health hazard evaluation for diacetyl exposure. The NIOSH team of physicians, industrial hygienists and epidemiologists was dispatched to select cafeterias and restaurants in New York to collect cooking spray samples, test ventilation systems and examine workers.

While results are still pending, Dr. Rachel Bailey, a NIOSH epidemic intelligence service officer, believes the findings will be useful. “These sites are good because so many of these workers have had long tenures there and a diverse amount of exposure.” Meanwhile, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is in the midst of a program to determine, among other things, whether there should be standard permissible exposure level. Amongst the findings thus far: one in four rats died after six hours of exposure to diacetyl vapors.