Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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  Volume 483 Number 7387   
 

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 News & Comment    Biological Sciences    Chemical Sciences
 
 Physical Sciences    Earth & Environmental Sciences    Careers & Jobs
 
 
 

This week's highlights

 
 

Earth & Environmental Sciences

More Earth & Environmental sciences
 
Biosignatures as revealed by spectropolarimetry of Earthshine
 

Earthshine - sunlight that has been first reflected by Earth and then reflected back here by the Moon - is a good model for astronomers interested in the atmospheres and surfaces of extrasolar planets. The spectra obtained in this study of Earthshine provide a benchmark for what to look for on other worlds - including the tell-tale signs of living organisms.

 
 
 

Physical Sciences

More Physical sciences
 
Re-emerging superconductivity at 48 kelvin in iron Chalcogenides
 

Reports of superconductivity at up to 32 K have boosted interest in a family of superconductors known as the iron chalcogenides. This report reveals a novel effect of extreme pressure on these compounds - superconductivity vanishes as pressure in a system increases but re-emerges in a second phase with a higher transition temperature at pressures above 11.5 GPa, or more than 110, 000 atmospheres.

 
 
 

Earth & Environmental Sciences

More Earth & Environmental sciences
 
Surprisingly complex community discovered in the mid-Devonian fossil forest at Gilboa
 

An ancient fossil forest glimpsed during stone quarrying for the Gilboa dam and reservoir in Schoharie County, New York, has been rediscovered. Instead of the one tree type previously identified, the twenty-first-century researchers found three.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

The Wellcome Trust/DBT India Alliance - Fellowships for Biomedical Science in India
India Alliance is a partnership between the Wellcome Trust, UK and Department of Biotechnology, India. With the mandate to build capacity in biomedical research in India, it provides long-term and competitive fellowships across the full spectrum of biomedical science - from fundamental biology through to clinical and public health research at key stages of a research career. Find out more.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Podcast & Video

 
 

In this week's podcast: a fossilised forest, a high-tech clinic in a low-tech community, deciphering the Rosetta Stone, and a mathematical model that could help avoid commuter snarl-ups.

 
 
 

Specials - Outlook: Chagas Lenses on biology

 
 

Immersed in the details of the latest laboratory advances, it's easy to lose track of the enormous impact biological sciences are having on our world. In this special edition of Nature Outlook, five top scientists explain how research in their specialties - cancer, climate change, stem cells, oceanography and synthetic biology - has changed our lives.

more

 
 
 
 
News & Comment Read daily news coverage top
 
 
 
 
 
 

THIS WEEK

 
 
 
 
 

Editorials

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

The darker side of stem cells ▶

 
 

An investigation by Nature has found that patients in Texas are receiving unproven stem-cell treatments. The state and the company involved need to ensure that they follow FDA guidelines.

 
 
 
 
 
 

The great beyond ▶

 
 

Progress on rare genetic diseases shows the medical value of outliers.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Frozen out ▶

 
 

Canada's government should free its scientists to speak to the press, as its US counterpart has.

 
 
 
 
 
 

World View

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Clear up this fuzzy thinking on brain scans ▶

 
 

France has banned commercial applications of brain imaging. So why approve its use in court, asks Olivier Oullier.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Seven Days

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Seven days: 24 February–1 March 2012 ▶

 
 

The week in science: Fire destroys Brazil's Antarctic research station; Africa agricultural monitoring network launched; and World Bank partnership coordinates ocean conservation efforts.

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS IN FOCUS

 
 
 
 
 

Stem-cell therapy takes off in Texas ▶

 
 

A boom in unproven procedures is worrying scientists.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Protests delay Greek university reform ▶

 
 

Small groups of agitators stop elections for governing boards.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural biologists share their toys ▶

 
 

European network pools resources to unpick the secrets of the cell.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Egg-making stem cells found in adult ovaries ▶

 
 

Discovery could pave the way for new fertility treatments and a longer reproductive life.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Timing glitches dog neutrino claim ▶

 
 

Team admits to possible errors in faster-than-light finding.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Plans stall for biodefence lab ▶

 
 

US National Academy of Sciences reassesses risks of high-security work in cattle country.

 
 
 
 
 
 

US disease agency in fiscal peril ▶

 
 

Proposed budget changes threaten disease prevention and surveillance programmes.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Features

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Rare diseases: Genomics, plain and simple ▶

 
 

A Pennsylvania clinic working with Amish and Mennonite communities could be a model for personalized medicine.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Treating schizophrenia: Game on ▶

 
 

Michael Merzenich has a plan for how to convince sceptics of the worth of his brain-training video games: prove that the software can help people with schizophrenia.

 
 
 
 
 

COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Archaeology: A clash of symbols ▶

 
 

Andrew Robinson pieces together the story of who deserves the credit for deciphering the hieroglyphs.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Synthetic biology: Four steps to avoid a synthetic-biology disaster ▶

 
 

Assess the ecological risks of synthetic microbes before they escape the lab, say Genya V. Dana, Todd Kuiken, David Rejeski and Allison A. Snow.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Sustainability: Tax 'societal ills' to save the planet ▶

 
 

Funding is a major stumbling block for environmental initiatives, says Edward Barbier. Taxing financial transactions or trade in arms, tobacco and fuel might help.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Books and Arts

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Computer science: Digital dawn ▶

 
 

Thomas Misa ponders a history of computing that focuses firmly on John von Neumann and the 'Princeton crowd'.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Books in brief ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 

Archaeology: Golden boy ▶

 
 

Jo Marchant uncovers a mixed hoard in a history of Tutankhamun and the discovery of his tomb.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Theatre: Darkness made visible ▶

 
 

Daniel Cressey reflects on a play that uses astronomy and medicine to probe what it means to see.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Correspondence

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Informed consent: cultural differences Gilles Guerrier, Didier Sicard & Paul T. Brey | Informed consent: meet patients' needs Silvio Garattini, Vittorio Bertele' & Rita Banzi | Citations: not all measures are equal Scott L. Hooper | Citations: results differ by database Carles Alcaraz & Sofia Morais | Crime: track illegal trade in wildlife Luís Felipe Toledo, Marianne V. Asmüssen & Jon Paul Rodríguez

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nature Reviews Cancer POSTER - Proteasome inhibition and cancer therapy
Author: Q. Ping Dou

This poster highlights recent achievements and progress in targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway for cancer therapy.
Access the Poster FREE online! www.nature.com/nrc/posters/proteasome

This Poster is freely available thanks to sponsorship from Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Biological Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis of ultraviolet-B perception by UVR8 ▶

 
 

Di Wu, Qi Hu, Zhen Yan, Wen Chen, Chuangye Yan et al.

 
 

The X-ray crystal structure of ultraviolet-B-sensing protein UVR8 is determined, revealing that, unlike other known photoreceptors, the chromophore is not an external cofactor but rather two amino acids.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China ▶

 
 

Diying Huang, Michael S. Engel, Chenyang Cai, Hao Wu & André Nel

 
 

The morphology of the oldest definitive fleas—from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods of China—suggests that they had ‘reptilian’ hosts before radiating to mammalian and avian hosts, and their stout and elongate sucking siphons suggest that they may be rooted among the scorpionflies of the Mesozoic era.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Treatment of stroke with a PSD-95 inhibitor in the gyrencephalic primate brain ▶

 
 

Douglas J. Cook, Lucy Teves & Michael Tymianski

 
 

Tat-NR2B9c, a PSD-95 inhibitor, is shown to reduce stroke-induced behavioural and neuroanatomical deficits in cynomolgous macaques when administered in the presence of an ischemic penumbra, suggesting the potential of PSD-95 inhibition as a neuroprotectant strategy for clinical investigation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

An epigenetic blockade of cognitive functions in the neurodegenerating brain ▶

 
 

Johannes Gräff, Damien Rei, Ji-Song Guan, Wen-Yuan Wang, Jinsoo Seo et al.

 
 

Histone deacetylase 2 is shown to suppress genes involved in cognitive function epigenetically, potentially opening the door to treatments for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases by developing HDAC2-selective inhibitors.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Skin infection generates non-migratory memory CD8+ TRM cells providing global skin immunity ▶

 
 

Xiaodong Jiang, Rachael A. Clark, Luzheng Liu, Amy J. Wagers, Robert C. Fuhlbrigge et al.

 
 

Local skin infection is shown to generate long-lived T cells that reside throughout the skin and are potent effector cells, superior to circulating memory T cells in providing rapid long-term protection again cutaneous re-infection.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Uncovering the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle ▶

 
 

D. T. Johnston, F. A. Macdonald, B. C. Gill, P. F. Hoffman & D. P. Schrag

 
 

A quantitative mixing model coupled with new isotopic carbon data from Mongolia, northwest Canada and Namibia reveals that Neoproterozoic era carbonate isotopic anomalies can be accounted for by a primary perturbation to the surface carbon cycle, making other explanations unlikely.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Type VI secretion requires a dynamic contractile phage tail-like structure ▶

 
 

M. Basler, M. Pilhofer, G. P. Henderson, G. J. Jensen & J. J. Mekalanos

 
 

Microscopy reveals the dynamics of the type VI secretion system of Vibrio cholerae and its structural and functional resemblance to the contractile tail sheath of bacteriophages.

 
 
 
 
 
 

A universal model for mobility and migration patterns ▶

 
 

Filippo Simini, Marta C. González, Amos Maritan & Albert-László Barabási

 
 

A parameter-free model predicts patterns of commuting, phone calls and trade using only population density at all intermediate points.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Unresponsiveness of colon cancer to BRAF(V600E) inhibition through feedback activation of EGFR ▶

 
 

Anirudh Prahallad, Chong Sun, Sidong Huang, Federica Di Nicolantonio, Ramon Salazar et al.

 
 

Inhibition of activated BRAF has been ineffective in colon cancers with the mutation; here, this is shown to be due to the feedback activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in response to BRAF inhibition.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Gain control by layer six in cortical circuits of vision ▶

 
 

Shawn R. Olsen, Dante S. Bortone, Hillel Adesnik & Massimo Scanziani

 
 

Layer six in the mouse primary visual cortex is a major mediator of cortical gain modulation and may be a node through which convergent inputs from several brain areas can regulate the earliest steps of cortical visual processing.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis for iron piracy by pathogenic Neisseria ▶

 
 

Nicholas Noinaj, Nicole C. Easley, Muse Oke, Naoko Mizuno, James Gumbart et al.

 
 

Structural analysis reveals the iron scavenging mechanism used by Neisseria species, involving TbpA and TbpB proteins, and sheds light on how human transferrin is specifically targeted.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Recognition of SUMO-modified PCNA requires tandem receptor motifs in Srs2 ▶

 
 

Anthony A. Armstrong, Firaz Mohideen & Christopher D. Lima

 
 

Two carboxy-terminal motifs are necessary for Srs2 to recognize SUMO-conjugated PCNA, which is involved in DNA replication and repair; one motif is specific to SUMO, the other to PCNA.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Biosignatures as revealed by spectropolarimetry of Earthshine ▶

 
 

Michael F. Sterzik, Stefano Bagnulo & Enric Palle

 
 

Sunlight that has been reflected first from the Earth and then from the Moon is known as ‘Earthshine’, and its linear polarization spectra are found to contain signatures of life, such as oxygen and vegetation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Surprisingly complex community discovered in the mid-Devonian fossil forest at Gilboa ▶

 
 

William E. Stein, Christopher M. Berry, Linda VanAller Hernick & Frank Mannolini

 
 

Mapping of Eospermatopteris root systems within ‘the Earth’s earliest forest’ clarifies its palaeoecology, produces a new interpretation of aneurophytaleans and extends the range for arborescent lycopsids.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Strict evolutionary conservation followed rapid gene loss on human and rhesus Y chromosomes ▶

 
 

Jennifer F. Hughes, Helen Skaletsky, Laura G. Brown, Tatyana Pyntikova, Tina Graves et al.

 
 

The male-specific region of rhesus macaque and human Y chromosome (MSY) are sequenced and compared to the human MSY, showing that during the last 25 million years MSY gene loss in the rhesus and human lineages was limited to the youngest stratum (stratum 5), whereas gene loss in the older strata ceased more than 25 million years ago.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Opposite effects of fear conditioning and extinction on dendritic spine remodelling ▶

 
 

Cora Sau Wan Lai, Thomas F. Franke & Wen-Biao Gan

 
 

In mouse frontal cortex, fear conditioning and extinction cause dendritic spine elimination and, respectively, formation to occur on the same dendritic branches in a cue- and location-specific manner.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Repetitive motor learning induces coordinated formation of clustered dendritic spines in vivo ▶

 
 

Min Fu, Xinzhu Yu, Ju Lu & Yi Zuo

 
 

Repetitive activation of specific circuitry in the motor cortex during motor learning can induce new clusters of dendritic spines to form, which are preferentially stabilized during prolonged learning sessions.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Circadian rhythms govern cardiac repolarization and arrhythmogenesis ▶

 
 

Darwin Jeyaraj, Saptarsi M. Haldar, Xiaoping Wan, Mark D. McCauley, Jürgen A. Ripperger et al.

 
 

Circadian rhythmicity of cardiac ion-channel expression and of an index of myocardial repolarization is under the control of Klf15, a clock-dependent oscillator that is required for generating transient outward potassium current, and deficiencies or excesses of which cause loss of rhythmic variation in myocardial and abnormal repolarization, and an enhanced susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis for recognition of H3K56-acetylated histone H3–H4 by the chaperone Rtt106 ▶

 
 

Dan Su, Qi Hu, Qing Li, James R. Thompson, Gaofeng Cui et al.

 
 

Direct binding of Rtt106 to H3K56-acetylated (H3–H4)2 histone tetramers contributes to nucleosome assembly with implications for DNA replication, gene silencing and maintenance of genomic stability.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural and functional conservation of key domains in InsP3 and ryanodine receptors ▶

 
 

Min-Duk Seo, Saroj Velamakanni, Noboru Ishiyama, Peter B. Stathopulos, Ana M. Rossi et al.

 
 

Structures of the amino-terminal region of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 with and without InsP3 bound reveal two discrete interfaces between the InsP3-binding core and suppressor domain that are similar to and functionally interchangeable with those in the equivalent domains of ryanodine receptor 1.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Social science: Carrot or stick? ▶

 
 

Simon Gächter

 
 
 
 
 
 

Palaeobotany: In the shade of the oldest forest ▶

 
 

Brigitte Meyer-Berthaud & Anne-Laure Decombeix

 
 
 
 
 
 

Microfluidics: Analog-to-digital drug screening ▶

 
 

Robert C. R. Wootton & Andrew J. deMello

 
 
 
 
 
 

Translational medicine: Primed for resistance ▶

 
 

David B. Solit & Pasi A. Jänne

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Biodiversity: New amphibians with no limbs | Evolution: Invasive mosquito adapts fast | Microbiology: New species spring forth | Neuroscience: Cognitive boost to brain connections | Palaeoecology: Ancient forest preserved in ash | Molecular biology: Noncoding RNAs decapped

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

The darker side of stem cells | The great beyond | Clear up this fuzzy thinking on brain scans | Stem-cell therapy takes off in Texas | Structural biologists share their toys | Egg-making stem cells found in adult ovaries | Plans stall for biodefence lab | US disease agency in fiscal peril | Rare diseases: Genomics, plain and simple | Treating schizophrenia: Game on | Archaeology: A clash of symbols | Synthetic biology: Four steps to avoid a synthetic-biology disaster | Books in brief | Archaeology: Golden boy | Theatre: Darkness made visible | Informed consent: cultural differences Gilles Guerrier, Didier Sicard & Paul T. Brey | Informed consent: meet patients' needs Silvio Garattini, Vittorio Bertele' & Rita Banzi

 
 
 
 
 

CAREERS

 
 
 
 
 

New observatory sites

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Biological Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

A*STAR Research - Highlighting the best of research from A*STAR, Singapore's premier research organization

Recent Highlights: Materials chemistry: As good as gold | Cell biology: Follow the leader | Photonics: Better connected Feature: Nanomedicine breakthrough hailed as 'world changing' | The MicroKit wins Silver Innovation Award
Register today for biweekly ealerts and never miss the latest in A*STAR Research

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chemical Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis of ultraviolet-B perception by UVR8 ▶

 
 

Di Wu, Qi Hu, Zhen Yan, Wen Chen, Chuangye Yan et al.

 
 

The X-ray crystal structure of ultraviolet-B-sensing protein UVR8 is determined, revealing that, unlike other known photoreceptors, the chromophore is not an external cofactor but rather two amino acids.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis for iron piracy by pathogenic Neisseria ▶

 
 

Nicholas Noinaj, Nicole C. Easley, Muse Oke, Naoko Mizuno, James Gumbart et al.

 
 

Structural analysis reveals the iron scavenging mechanism used by Neisseria species, involving TbpA and TbpB proteins, and sheds light on how human transferrin is specifically targeted.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Recognition of SUMO-modified PCNA requires tandem receptor motifs in Srs2 ▶

 
 

Anthony A. Armstrong, Firaz Mohideen & Christopher D. Lima

 
 

Two carboxy-terminal motifs are necessary for Srs2 to recognize SUMO-conjugated PCNA, which is involved in DNA replication and repair; one motif is specific to SUMO, the other to PCNA.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Catalytic functionalization of unactivated primary C–H bonds directed by an alcohol ▶

 
 

Eric M. Simmons & John F. Hartwig

 
 

The combination of an iridium-phenanthroline catalyst and a dihydridosilane reagent leads to the site-selective functionalization of primary C–H bonds that are proximal to a hydroxyl group.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural basis for recognition of H3K56-acetylated histone H3–H4 by the chaperone Rtt106 ▶

 
 

Dan Su, Qi Hu, Qing Li, James R. Thompson, Gaofeng Cui et al.

 
 

Direct binding of Rtt106 to H3K56-acetylated (H3–H4)2 histone tetramers contributes to nucleosome assembly with implications for DNA replication, gene silencing and maintenance of genomic stability.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Structural and functional conservation of key domains in InsP3 and ryanodine receptors ▶

 
 

Min-Duk Seo, Saroj Velamakanni, Noboru Ishiyama, Peter B. Stathopulos, Ana M. Rossi et al.

 
 

Structures of the amino-terminal region of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 with and without InsP3 bound reveal two discrete interfaces between the InsP3-binding core and suppressor domain that are similar to and functionally interchangeable with those in the equivalent domains of ryanodine receptor 1.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Catalysis: Disguise gets a reaction ▶

 
 

Danielle M. Schultz & John P. Wolfe

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Structural biologists share their toys

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Chemical Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Physical Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Uncovering the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle ▶

 
 

D. T. Johnston, F. A. Macdonald, B. C. Gill, P. F. Hoffman & D. P. Schrag

 
 

A quantitative mixing model coupled with new isotopic carbon data from Mongolia, northwest Canada and Namibia reveals that Neoproterozoic era carbonate isotopic anomalies can be accounted for by a primary perturbation to the surface carbon cycle, making other explanations unlikely.

 
 
 
 
 
 

A universal model for mobility and migration patterns ▶

 
 

Filippo Simini, Marta C. González, Amos Maritan & Albert-László Barabási

 
 

A parameter-free model predicts patterns of commuting, phone calls and trade using only population density at all intermediate points.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Biosignatures as revealed by spectropolarimetry of Earthshine ▶

 
 

Michael F. Sterzik, Stefano Bagnulo & Enric Palle

 
 

Sunlight that has been reflected first from the Earth and then from the Moon is known as ‘Earthshine’, and its linear polarization spectra are found to contain signatures of life, such as oxygen and vegetation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Re-emerging superconductivity at 48 kelvin in iron chalcogenides ▶

 
 

Liling Sun, Xiao-Jia Chen, Jing Guo, Peiwen Gao, Qing-Zhen Huang et al.

 
 

Unexpectedly, in superconducting iron chalcogenides, a second, much higher, maximum in the superconducting transition temperature emerges under increasing pressure.

 
 
 
 
 
 

News & Views

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Planetary science: In search of biosignatures ▶

 
 

Christoph U. Keller & Daphne M. Stam

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Climate science: The extended reach of Australian drought | Astrophysics: Rare element from space

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Timing glitches dog neutrino claim | Computer science: Digital dawn | Theatre: Darkness made visible

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Physical Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Earth & Environmental Sciences top
 
 
 
 
 
 

RESEARCH

 
 
 
 
 

Latest Online

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Uncovering the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle ▶

 
 

D. T. Johnston, F. A. Macdonald, B. C. Gill, P. F. Hoffman & D. P. Schrag

 
 

A quantitative mixing model coupled with new isotopic carbon data from Mongolia, northwest Canada and Namibia reveals that Neoproterozoic era carbonate isotopic anomalies can be accounted for by a primary perturbation to the surface carbon cycle, making other explanations unlikely.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Articles and Letters

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Biosignatures as revealed by spectropolarimetry of Earthshine ▶

 
 

Michael F. Sterzik, Stefano Bagnulo & Enric Palle

 
 

Sunlight that has been reflected first from the Earth and then from the Moon is known as ‘Earthshine’, and its linear polarization spectra are found to contain signatures of life, such as oxygen and vegetation.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Continental collision slowing due to viscous mantle lithosphere rather than topography ▶

 
 

Marin Kristen Clark

 
 

The rate of India’s convergence with Eurasia has decreased exponentially since their collision, which suggests that the deforming continental lithosphere creates a type of viscous resistance that affects plate motion irrespective of how topography evolved.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Surprisingly complex community discovered in the mid-Devonian fossil forest at Gilboa ▶

 
 

William E. Stein, Christopher M. Berry, Linda VanAller Hernick & Frank Mannolini

 
 

Mapping of Eospermatopteris root systems within ‘the Earth’s earliest forest’ clarifies its palaeoecology, produces a new interpretation of aneurophytaleans and extends the range for arborescent lycopsids.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Research Highlights

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Climate science: The extended reach of Australian drought | Geology: Stretch marks on the Moon

 
 
 
 

NEWS & COMMENT

 
 
 
 
 

Sustainability: Tax 'societal ills' to save the planet | Theatre: Darkness made visible

 
 
 
 
 
 

More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Specials - Nature Outlook: Lenses in BiologyFree Access top
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Lenses on biology ▶

 
 
 
 
 
 

Cancer: Solving an age-old problem ▶

 
 

Is cancer ancient, or is it largely a product of modern times? And can the latest research on prevention and treatment strategies make cancer a disease of the past? 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Q&A: Controversy and intellect ▶

 
 

Barbara Dunn is a programme director in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She tells Nature Outlook about the challenges of stopping the disease before it starts. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Synthetic Biology: Bits and pieces come to life ▶

 
 

Scientists are combining biology and engineering to change the world. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Q&A: Circuit capacity ▶

 
 

A Boston University biomedical engineer, Collins reprograms organisms to endow them with novel or improved functions. Nature Outlook asks him how things are evolving. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Climate Change: A planet in flux ▶

 
 

How is life on Earth reacting to climate change? 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Q&A: Regime change ▶

 
 

A freshwater ecologist at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Smol studies lake sediments to understand climatic and environmental change. Nature Outlook asks him to share his experience. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Ocean Science: The power of plankton ▶

 
 

Do tiny floating microorganisms in the ocean's surface waters play a massive role in controlling the global climate? 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Q&A: A slow-motion crisis ▶

 
 

Nature Outlook talks to Rutgers University environmental scientist Paul Falkowski about the effects of human activity and climate change on communities of life-sustaining oceanic microorganisms. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Stem Cells: Flexible friends ▶

 
 

Stem cells are powerful tools in biology and medicine. What can scientists do with these cells to exploit their incredible potential? 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Q&A: Stemming the tide ▶

 
 

As director of outreach experiences at the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison, Wisconsin, Nirupama Shevde spreads the word about stem cells. Nature Outlook finds out what she has to say. 

 
 
 
 

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Careers & Jobs top
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Presentations: Billboard science ▶

 
 

Posters are a chance to show off work and to network with colleagues, but only if the design is easy on the eye.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Protect research ideas ▶

 
 

Competitors could benefit if grant applications go public, CNSF warns.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

New observatory sites ▶

 
 

Research programme launches at US ecological sites.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Top student city ▶

 
 

Leading research institutions help Paris, London and Boston to come out on top.

 
 
 
     
 
 
 

Careers related news & comment

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Frozen out | Stem-cell therapy takes off in Texas | Protests delay Greek university reform | Informed consent: meet patients' needs Silvio Garattini, Vittorio Bertele' & Rita Banzi | Citations: not all measures are equal Scott L. Hooper | Citations: results differ by database Carles Alcaraz & Sofia Morais

 
 
 
 
 
 

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Genetic Counselling in Practice: BASIC and ADVANCED

 
 

14.-20.04.12 Palo Alto, US

 
 
 
 

Nature events is the premier resource for scientists looking for the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia. Featured across Nature Publishing Group journals and centrally at natureevents.com it is an essential reference guide to scientific events worldwide.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Futures

 
     
 
 
 
 
 

Knowledge ▶

 
 

John Frizell

 
 
 
 
     
 

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