Nature contents: 27 September 2012

Can't view this email? Click here to view in your browser.     Volume 489 Number 7417      nature •Visit Nature homepage •Subscribe to Nature •View Table of Contents The science that matters. Every week.                       GET THE LATEST ON microRNA PROFILING Exiqon gives you the inside story on microRNA profiling from challenging samples. Get inspired and pick up useful tips and tricks for your own microRNA projects. Read about exciting research or watch the latest webinars here.             Jump to the content that matters to you View Table of Contents ▶ ▼ News & Comment   ▼ Biological Sciences   ▼ Chemical Sciences   ▼ Physical Sciences   ▼ Earth & Environmental Sciences   ▼ Careers & Jobs       This week's highlights     Special: US Election 2012     Science and politics are uneasy bedfellows. The first is built on evidence and objectivity; the second thrives on opinion and persuasion. Nowhere is that relationship more fraught than in the United States, where the need to win votes can trump scientific evidence on issues such as climate change and public health — and where scientists have little sympathy for political give and take. Nature scrutinizes the intersection of politics and science in the run-up to the US election on Tuesday 6 November. ▼ more       Specials - Outlook: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease     Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) robs tens of millions of people of the ability to easily draw in the air they need to live a normal life. Although this incurable, progressive condition is difficult to diagnose, a bevy of new treatment options — including drug combinations, artificial lungs and dietary supplements — could give COPD patients a breath of fresh air. ▼ more       Biological Sciences More Biological sciences ▼   Genomic analysis of a key innovation in an experimental Escherichia coli population   Full-genome sequencing and 'evolutionary replay' experiments demonstrate the evolution of a novel trait — the ability to use citrate as an energy source in oxygen containing environments — in an experimental population of bacteria over more than 30,000 generations. The whole process can be summed up as a simple three-step program likely to be typical of other biological revolutions such as the colonization of land by proto-tetrapods.                   Confronting the Universe - 5 short films on physics At the 2012 Meeting of Nobel Laureates, we filmed five debates on issues that matter to the current generation of researchers. Watch the full series of films including this week’s release The energy endgame featuring Mario Molina and Robert Laughlin. nature.com/lindau/2012 Supported by Mars, Incorporated and published weekly from Sept 19th - Oct 10th                 Physical Sciences More Physical sciences ▼   Popularity versus similarity in growing networks   This study of network evolution shows that popularity is a strong force shaping the complex network structure and dynamics, but so too is similarity. The authors develop a model that increases the accuracy of network evolution predictions by considering the trade-offs between popularity and similarity. The model accurately describes large-scale evolution of technological (Internet), social and metabolic networks.       Biological Sciences More Biological sciences ▼   Skin shedding and tissue regeneration in African spiny mice (Acomys)   African spiny mice, Acomys kempi and A. percivali, share with certain lizards the ability to shed and then rapidly regenerate areas of skin. This is a useful defence against predators, who may gain a mouthful of easily-torn skin but miss out on the main prize as the spiny mouse scuttles away. And it sets the bar high for tissue regeneration in mammals. With a model system like this to study, it may be possible to learn how to increase the potential of human tissue to regenerate when damaged.       Podcast & Video     In this week's podcast: a mammal that can regrow its skin, safeguarding the foetus during pregnancy, and a Congressman calls for more scientific thinking in politics.         Special - US Election 2012Free Access ▲top               Editorial                   A second wind for the president ▶     A lack of leadership has hampered progress against global warming. If Barack Obama earns a second term as US president, will he have the energy to tackle climate?             Features                   US election: Political science ▶             US science: The Obama experiment ▶     Nearly four years after US President Barack Obama pledged to put science in its rightful place, Nature asks if he kept his word.             Comment                   US election: Politicians should think like scientists ▶     A more rigorous, analytical and far-sighted approach would improve the US political process, says Rush Holt.             US election: Know your representatives ▶     Lawrence Goldstein urges researchers to talk to lawmakers about science.               News & Comment Read daily news coverage▶ ▲top             THIS WEEK           Therapy deficit ▶     Studies to enhance psychological treatments are scandalously under-supported.             Poison postures ▶     Researchers working on controversial topics must take care how they promote their results.             World View                   It is time for full disclosure of author contributions ▶     Online databases could increase fairness and transparency by fully documenting the role of each contributor to a paper, says Sebastian Frische.             Seven Days                   Seven days: 21–27 September 2012 ▶     The week in science: Drug companies collaborate, deforestation up in the Amazon and European stem-cell funds under threat.           NEWS IN FOCUS           Researchers campaign to free jailed Russian chemist ▶     Narcotics expert Olga Zelenina recognized as a political prisoner.             Chemical society tried to block business competitor ▶     Court ruling raises concerns among some American Chemical Society members.             Rat study sparks GM furore ▶     Cancer claims put herbicide-resistant transgenic maize in the spotlight.             China buys US sequencing firm ▶     BGI's rescue of Complete Genomics will keep a valued technology afloat.             Open-access deal for particle physics ▶     Consortium brokers agreement with 12 journals.           COMMENT           Sociology: Honour the helpful ▶     Alexander Oettl presents evidence that scientists who share advice and expertise enhance their colleagues' productivity.             Books and Arts                   Biography: The scientist within ▶     Richard Holmes celebrates today's revival of science biography, a tradition spanning 300 years.             Food science: Digestive tracts ▶     Barbara Ketcham Wheaton samples a brace of food-related science and technology histories.             Statistics: Forecasting with finesse ▶     Paul Ormerod assesses a Bayesian take on predicting everything from poker games to climate change.             Correspondence                   Farming: Redirect research to control coffee pest Francisco Infante, Jeanneth Pérez & Fernando E. Vega | Competing interests: Follow the money on climate controversy Thomas E. DeCoursey | Pollution protests: Green issues are catching on in China Qiang Wang, Xi Chen & Yi-Chong Xu | Rationality: Evidence must prevail David J. Hosken | Rationality: Science is not bad faith Andy Greenfield | Rationality: Religion defies understanding Andrew Blight           Correction                   Correction ▶                         Call for Research Proposals: Diseases of the Developing World Foundation selects and funds scientists to execute their research projects using the world-class facilities, equipment and compound libraries available at the Open Lab at GlaxoSmithKline's Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus in Spain. Funding of up to $160,000 for each approved project is available. This call for proposals is hosted by InnoCentive - a brief proposal (2-4 pages is all that is required).  Read the detailed brief and submit your proposal here!               Biological Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   The aged niche disrupts muscle stem cell quiescence ▶     Joe V. Chakkalakal, Kieran M. Jones, M. Albert Basson & Andrew S. Brack     The expression of fibroblast growth factor in aged muscle fibre, the muscle stem cell niche, is shown to cause satellite cells to lose the capacity for self-renewal, and is thus an age-dependent change that directly influences stem cell quiescence and function.             A metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes ▶     Junjie Qin, Yingrui Li, Zhiming Cai, Shenghui Li, Jianfeng Zhu et al.     The authors have developed a new method, metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS), to compare the combined genetic content of the faecal microbiota of healthy people versus patients with type 2 diabetes; they identify multiple microbial species and metabolic pathways that are associated with either cohort and show that some of these may be used as biomarkers.             Pregnancy imprints regulatory memory that sustains anergy to fetal antigen ▶     Jared H. Rowe, James M. Ertelt, Lijun Xin & Sing Sing Way     Successful pregnancy requires immune tolerance against paternal antigens expressed by the fetus; here pregnancy is shown to stimulate the selective accumulation of maternal immune-suppressive regulatory T cells with fetal specificity that are retained post-partum, which may explain the protective benefits of prior pregnancy against pre-eclampsia and other complications in subsequent pregnancy.             Targeting VEGF-B as a novel treatment for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes ▶     Carolina E. Hagberg, Annika Mehlem, Annelie Falkevall, Lars Muhl, Barbara C. Fam et al.     Inhibition of VEGF-B signalling is shown to limit ectopic fatty-acid accumulation, restore peripheral insulin sensitivity and muscle glucose uptake, and preserve pancreatic islet functionality.             Comprehensive molecular portraits of human breast tumours  OPEN ▶     The Cancer Genome Atlas Network     The Cancer Genome Atlas Network describe their multifaceted analyses of primary breast cancers, shedding light on breast cancer heterogeneity; although only three genes (TP53, PIK3CA and GATA3) are mutated at a frequency greater than 10% across all breast cancers, numerous subtype-associated and novel mutations were identified.             Structure of AMP-PNP-bound vitamin B12 transporter BtuCD–F ▶     Vladimir M. Korkhov, Samantha A. Mireku & Kaspar P. Locher     The X-ray crystal structure of the transporter-binding protein complex BtuCD–F, involved in the uptake of vitamin B12 across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli, is determined in an ATP analogue-bound state; the membrane-spanning BtuC subunits adopt a previously unseen conformation in which the central translocation pathway is sealed by an additional gate, and membrane transport is seen to occur through an unexpected peristaltic transport mechanism, distinct from what has been observed for other ABC transporters.             Controlling interneuron activity in Caenorhabditis elegans to evoke chemotactic behaviour ▶     Askin Kocabas, Ching-Han Shen, Zengcai V. Guo & Sharad Ramanathan     Optogenetic neuronal control of freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans to drive the animals up virtual ‘optical’ gradients combined with real-time tracking demonstrates that a single pair of interneurons is technically sufficient to determine such guided locomotion.             Codon-usage-based inhibition of HIV protein synthesis by human schlafen 11 ▶     Manqing Li, Elaine Kao, Xia Gao, Hilary Sandig, Kirsten Limmer et al.     Schlafen proteins are produced in response to interferon signalling, which can be activated by retroviral infection; this study shows that human schlafen 11 inhibits the late stages of HIV-1 production by binding non-specifically to tRNAs, thus preventing the expression of viral proteins.             Crystal structure of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein from Caenorhabditis elegans ▶     Mi Sun Jin, Michael L. Oldham, Qiuju Zhang & Jue Chen     Biochemical and structural analysis of the drug transporter P-glycoprotein in Caenorhabditis elegans at a resolution of 3.4 ångströms is used to generate a homology model of the human protein and supports a picture in which P-glycoprotein uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to expel lipophilic molecules from the inner leaflet of the cell membrane.             In vivo genome editing using a high-efficiency TALEN system ▶     Victoria M. Bedell, Ying Wang, Jarryd M. Campbell, Tanya L. Poshusta, Colby G. Starker et al.     Although zebrafish is an important animal model for basic vertebrate biology and human disease modelling, rapid targeted genome modification was not possible in this species; here a technique based on improved artificial transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) allows precise sequence modifications at pre-determined genomic locations.             Articles and Letters                   Genomic analysis of a key innovation in an experimental Escherichia coli population ▶     Zachary D. Blount, Jeffrey E. Barrick, Carla J. Davidson & Richard E. Lenski     By combining full-genome sequencing and ‘evolutionary replay’ experiments to dissect the origin of aerobic citrate use in an experimental Escherichia coli population over 40,000 generations and 2 decades, the authors unveil a 3-step process in which potentiation makes a trait possible, actualization makes the trait manifest and refinement makes it effective.             Comprehensive genomic characterization of squamous cell lung cancers  OPEN ▶     The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network     Comprehensive analyses of 178 lung squamous cell carcinomas by The Cancer Genome Atlas project show that the tumour type is characterized by complex genomic alterations, with statistically recurrent mutations in 11 genes, including TP53 in nearly all samples; a potential therapeutic target is identified in most of the samples studied.             Cross-neutralization of influenza A viruses mediated by a single antibody loop ▶     Damian C. Ekiert, Arun K. Kashyap, John Steel, Adam Rubrum, Gira Bhabha et al.     The crystal structure of an influenza antibody that recognizes a small, conserved site in the variable receptor-binding domain of HA is described; this antibody shows broad neutralization across multiple subtypes of influenza A virus through an antibody–antigen interaction dominated by a single heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 loop.             Ocean oxygenation in the wake of the Marinoan glaciation ▶     Swapan K. Sahoo, Noah J. Planavsky, Brian Kendall, Xinqiang Wang, Xiaoying Shi et al.     Data are presented that support the idea of an oxygenation event in the immediate aftermath of the Marinoan glaciation, pre-dating previous estimates for post-Marinoan oxygenation by more than 50 million years.             Response of salt-marsh carbon accumulation to climate change ▶     Matthew L. Kirwan & Simon M. Mudd     A numerical model of salt marsh evolution shows that competition between mineral sediment deposition and organic matter accumulation determines the net impact of climate change on carbon accumulation in intertidal wetlands.             Delayed phenology and reduced fitness associated with climate change in a wild hibernator ▶     Jeffrey E. Lane, Loeske E. B. Kruuk, Anne Charmantier, Jan O. Murie & F. Stephen Dobson     Delay in the hibernation emergence date of female Columbian ground squirrels in Canada over 20 years is related to climatic conditions other than increasing temperature, and as years of later emergence are associated with decreased individual fitness, plastic responses to climate change may be associated with declines in population viability.             Evidence for dietary change but not landscape use in South African early hominins ▶     Vincent Balter, José Braga, Philippe Télouk & J. Francis Thackeray     Analyses of strontium elemental and isotopic ratios in fossil teeth show that Australopithecus africanus—the presumed ancestor of early Homo and Paranthropus robustus—had a much more varied diet than Homo and Paranthropus; this sheds light on the diet and home ranges of fossil hominins.             Skin shedding and tissue regeneration in African spiny mice (Acomys) ▶     Ashley W. Seifert, Stephen G. Kiama, Megan G. Seifert, Jacob R. Goheen, Todd M. Palmer et al.     African spiny mice (Acomys) are shown to be capable of regenerating hair follicles, adipose tissue and cartilage, and they can heal deep lesions of skin, with little scarring, suggesting that these mice could prove useful as a model system for studying tissue regeneration in mammals.             Structural and genetic basis for development of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies ▶     Daniel Lingwood, Patrick M. McTamney, Hadi M. Yassine, James R. R. Whittle, Xiaoti Guo et al.     The events leading to the generation of broadly neutralizing antibodies to influenza viruses, which may hold the key to developing a universal flu vaccine, are elucidated.             Genotoxic consequences of endogenous aldehydes on mouse haematopoietic stem cell function ▶     Juan I. Garaycoechea, Gerry P. Crossan, Frederic Langevin, Maria Daly, Mark J. Arends et al.     The function of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells is impaired by damaged DNA; here, endogenously generated aldehydes are found to be one source of such damage, which is repaired by the Fanconi anaemia pathway.             The Fun30 nucleosome remodeller promotes resection of DNA double-strand break ends ▶     Xuefeng Chen, Dandan Cui, Alma Papusha, Xiaotian Zhang, Chia-Dwo Chu et al.     Nucleolytic degradation of 5′ strands at DNA double-strand breaks in yeast is shown to be facilitated by the nucleosome remodeller Fun30, particularly within chromatin bound by the checkpoint adaptor protein known to inhibit resection, Rad9.             The yeast Fun30 and human SMARCAD1 chromatin remodellers promote DNA end resection ▶     Thomas Costelloe, Raphaël Louge, Nozomi Tomimatsu, Bipasha Mukherjee, Emmanuelle Martini et al.     Fun30 and SMARCAD1 are identified as chromatin remodellers that promote DNA end resection during DNA repair and preserve genome stability in yeast and humans, respectively.             Interaction landscape of membrane-protein complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ▶     Mohan Babu, James Vlasblom, Shuye Pu, Xinghua Guo, Chris Graham et al.     A survey of 1,590 putative integral, peripheral and lipid-anchored membrane proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals unexpected physical associations underlying the membrane biology of eukaryotes and delineates the global topological landscape of the membrane interactome.             News & Views                   Evolution: How the unicorn got its horn ▶     Heather Hendrickson & Paul B. Rainey             Regenerative biology: Skin, heal thyself ▶     Elly M. Tanaka             Cancer metabolism: When more is less ▶     Lei Jiang & Ralph J. DeBerardinis             50 & 100 years ago ▶             Corrigenda                   Corrigendum: Peroxiredoxins are conserved markers of circadian rhythms ▶     Rachel S. Edgar, Edward W. Green, Yuwei Zhao, Gerben van Ooijen, Maria Olmedo et al.             Corrigendum: Neutralizing antibodies derived from the B cells of 1918 influenza pandemic survivors ▶     Xiaocong Yu, Tshidi Tsibane, Patricia A. McGraw, Frances S. House, Christopher J. Keefer et al.             Erratum                   Erratum: Stereospecific binding of a disordered peptide segment mediates BK channel inactivation ▶     Vivian Gonzalez-Perez, Xu-Hui Zeng, Katie Henzler-Wildman & Christopher J. Lingle             Research Highlights                   Ecology: Artificial marshes fall short | Disease: Cells turn back clock in diabetes | Drug development: Fragile-X drug in humans and mice | Microbial ecology: Symbiosis may fertilize seas | Developmental biology: Salamanders heal like embryos grow | Biochemistry: Enzyme design inspired by cancer | Cell imaging: A peek at organelles in live cells         NEWS & COMMENT           Therapy deficit | Poison postures | Researchers campaign to free jailed Russian chemist | Rat study sparks GM furore | China buys US sequencing firm | Biography: The scientist within | Farming: Redirect research to control coffee pest Francisco Infante, Jeanneth Pérez & Fernando E. Vega             More Biological Sciences ▶                         Frontiers in Plant Biology: From Discovery to Applications October 3-5, 2012 - Ghent, Belgium This conference will focus on the recent breakthroughs in plant biology, enabled by the latest methodological developments. For more information and to register, visit: www.nature.com/natureconferences/fpb2012/index.html               Chemical Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Targeting VEGF-B as a novel treatment for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes ▶     Carolina E. Hagberg, Annika Mehlem, Annelie Falkevall, Lars Muhl, Barbara C. Fam et al.     Inhibition of VEGF-B signalling is shown to limit ectopic fatty-acid accumulation, restore peripheral insulin sensitivity and muscle glucose uptake, and preserve pancreatic islet functionality.             Structure of AMP-PNP-bound vitamin B12 transporter BtuCD–F ▶     Vladimir M. Korkhov, Samantha A. Mireku & Kaspar P. Locher     The X-ray crystal structure of the transporter-binding protein complex BtuCD–F, involved in the uptake of vitamin B12 across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli, is determined in an ATP analogue-bound state; the membrane-spanning BtuC subunits adopt a previously unseen conformation in which the central translocation pathway is sealed by an additional gate, and membrane transport is seen to occur through an unexpected peristaltic transport mechanism, distinct from what has been observed for other ABC transporters.             Crystal structure of the multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein from Caenorhabditis elegans ▶     Mi Sun Jin, Michael L. Oldham, Qiuju Zhang & Jue Chen     Biochemical and structural analysis of the drug transporter P-glycoprotein in Caenorhabditis elegans at a resolution of 3.4 ångströms is used to generate a homology model of the human protein and supports a picture in which P-glycoprotein uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to expel lipophilic molecules from the inner leaflet of the cell membrane.             Articles and Letters                   Interaction landscape of membrane-protein complexes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ▶     Mohan Babu, James Vlasblom, Shuye Pu, Xinghua Guo, Chris Graham et al.     A survey of 1,590 putative integral, peripheral and lipid-anchored membrane proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals unexpected physical associations underlying the membrane biology of eukaryotes and delineates the global topological landscape of the membrane interactome.             Corrigendum                   Corrigendum: Peroxiredoxins are conserved markers of circadian rhythms ▶     Rachel S. Edgar, Edward W. Green, Yuwei Zhao, Gerben van Ooijen, Maria Olmedo et al.             Erratum                   Erratum: Stereospecific binding of a disordered peptide segment mediates BK channel inactivation ▶     Vivian Gonzalez-Perez, Xu-Hui Zeng, Katie Henzler-Wildman & Christopher J. Lingle             Research Highlights                   Nanotechnology: Pulsating tubes act as pumps | Biochemistry: Enzyme design inspired by cancer         NEWS & COMMENT           Food science: Digestive tracts             More Chemical Sciences ▶               Physical Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Controlling interneuron activity in Caenorhabditis elegans to evoke chemotactic behaviour ▶     Askin Kocabas, Ching-Han Shen, Zengcai V. Guo & Sharad Ramanathan     Optogenetic neuronal control of freely moving Caenorhabditis elegans to drive the animals up virtual ‘optical’ gradients combined with real-time tracking demonstrates that a single pair of interneurons is technically sufficient to determine such guided locomotion.             Articles and Letters                   No surviving evolved companions of the progenitor of SN 1006 ▶     Jonay I. González Hernández, Pilar Ruiz-Lapuente, Hugo M. Tabernero, David Montes, Ramon Canal et al.     A search for a surviving companion star of the progenitor of type Ia supernova 1006 indicates that fewer than 20 per cent of such supernovae result from the accretion onto the progenitor star of material from a companion that survives the process rather than being destroyed.             Popularity versus similarity in growing networks ▶     Fragkiskos Papadopoulos, Maksim Kitsak, M. Ángeles Serrano, Marián Boguñá & Dmitri Krioukov     A framework is developed in which new connections to a growing network optimize geometric trade-offs between popularity and similarity, instead of simply preferring popular nodes; this approach accurately describes the large-scale evolution of various networks.             A single-atom electron spin qubit in silicon ▶     Jarryd J. Pla, Kuan Y. Tan, Juan P. Dehollain, Wee H. Lim, John J. L. Morton et al.     The coherent manipulation of an individual electron spin qubit bound to a single phosphorus donor atom in natural silicon provides an excellent platform on which to build a scalable quantum computer.             Response of salt-marsh carbon accumulation to climate change ▶     Matthew L. Kirwan & Simon M. Mudd     A numerical model of salt marsh evolution shows that competition between mineral sediment deposition and organic matter accumulation determines the net impact of climate change on carbon accumulation in intertidal wetlands.             Delayed phenology and reduced fitness associated with climate change in a wild hibernator ▶     Jeffrey E. Lane, Loeske E. B. Kruuk, Anne Charmantier, Jan O. Murie & F. Stephen Dobson     Delay in the hibernation emergence date of female Columbian ground squirrels in Canada over 20 years is related to climatic conditions other than increasing temperature, and as years of later emergence are associated with decreased individual fitness, plastic responses to climate change may be associated with declines in population viability.             News & Views                   Quantum computation: Spinning towards scalable circuits ▶     Lee C. Bassett & David D. Awschalom             Network science: Luck or reason ▶     Albert-László Barabási             Electronics: 'Cut and stick' ion gels ▶     Masashi Kawasaki & Yoshihiro Iwasa             Corrigendum                   Corrigendum: Constraints on future changes in climate and the hydrologic cycle ▶     Myles R. Allen & William J. Ingram             Research Highlights                   Nanotechnology: Pulsating tubes act as pumps | Climate change: Arctic snow lost faster than ice         NEWS & COMMENT           Biography: The scientist within | Competing interests: Follow the money on climate controversy Thomas E. DeCoursey | Rationality: Evidence must prevail David J. Hosken             More Physical Sciences ▶               Earth & Environmental Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   En échelon and orthogonal fault ruptures of the 11 April 2012 great intraplate earthquakes ▶     Han Yue, Thorne Lay & Keith D. Koper     The magnitude 8.7 earthquake that occurred off the coast of the Sumatra subduction zone on 11 April 2012 is shown to have had an extraordinarily complex four-fault rupture; these great ruptures represent large lithospheric deformation that may eventually lead to a localized boundary between the Indian and Australian plates.             The 11 April 2012 east Indian Ocean earthquake triggered large aftershocks worldwide ▶     Fred F. Pollitz, Ross S. Stein, Volkan Sevilgen & Roland Bürgmann     Although strong remote aftershocks are exceedingly rare, their rate increased fivefold during the six days following the 2012 east Indian Ocean earthquake, perhaps as a result of the strike-slip nature of the 2012 event or a build up of close-to-failure nucleation sites.             April 2012 intra-oceanic seismicity off Sumatra boosted by the Banda-Aceh megathrust ▶     Matthias Delescluse, Nicolas Chamot-Rooke, Rodolphe Cattin, Luce Fleitout, Olga Trubienko et al.     The two earthquakes of respective magnitudes 8.6 and 8.2 that occurred off the coast of the Sumatra subduction zone on 11 April 2012 are shown to be part of a continuing boost of the intraplate deformation between India and Australia that followed the Aceh 2004 and Nias 2005 megathrust earthquakes.             Articles and Letters                   Ocean oxygenation in the wake of the Marinoan glaciation ▶     Swapan K. Sahoo, Noah J. Planavsky, Brian Kendall, Xinqiang Wang, Xiaoying Shi et al.     Data are presented that support the idea of an oxygenation event in the immediate aftermath of the Marinoan glaciation, pre-dating previous estimates for post-Marinoan oxygenation by more than 50 million years.             Response of salt-marsh carbon accumulation to climate change ▶     Matthew L. Kirwan & Simon M. Mudd     A numerical model of salt marsh evolution shows that competition between mineral sediment deposition and organic matter accumulation determines the net impact of climate change on carbon accumulation in intertidal wetlands.             Delayed phenology and reduced fitness associated with climate change in a wild hibernator ▶     Jeffrey E. Lane, Loeske E. B. Kruuk, Anne Charmantier, Jan O. Murie & F. Stephen Dobson     Delay in the hibernation emergence date of female Columbian ground squirrels in Canada over 20 years is related to climatic conditions other than increasing temperature, and as years of later emergence are associated with decreased individual fitness, plastic responses to climate change may be associated with declines in population viability.             Evidence for dietary change but not landscape use in South African early hominins ▶     Vincent Balter, José Braga, Philippe Télouk & J. Francis Thackeray     Analyses of strontium elemental and isotopic ratios in fossil teeth show that Australopithecus africanus—the presumed ancestor of early Homo and Paranthropus robustus—had a much more varied diet than Homo and Paranthropus; this sheds light on the diet and home ranges of fossil hominins.             Corrigendum                   Corrigendum: Constraints on future changes in climate and the hydrologic cycle ▶     Myles R. Allen & William J. Ingram             Research Highlights                   Ecology: Artificial marshes fall short | Climate change: Arctic snow lost faster than ice         NEWS & COMMENT           A second wind for the president | Competing interests: Follow the money on climate controversy Thomas E. DeCoursey | Pollution protests: Green issues are catching on in China Qiang Wang, Xi Chen & Yi-Chong Xu             More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶               Special - Nature Outlook: Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseFree Access ▲top               Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ▶     Herb Brody              Health impact: Breathless ▶     COPD is one of the world's biggest killers, but awareness is low, diagnosis is often missed, and in many countries the extent of the problem is not even well-documented.              Biochemistry: A radical treatment ▶     Researchers are counting on drugs that activate a master switch for antioxidant genes to protect lung tissue of COPD patients from an onslaught of free radicals.              Perspective: How can genetics help? ▶     Smoking and COPD have one of the strongest relationships in clinical epidemiology. But don't forget the genetics, says Edwin K. Silverman              Diagnosis: To catch a killer ▶     The first symptoms of COPD can be subtle, so the disease often goes undiagnosed. Researchers are searching for ways to detect the disease and to identify those most at risk.              Nutrition: The vitamin D complex ▶     Many COPD patients are deficient in vitamin D, a condition that can lead to bone problems as well as difficulty breathing. Can dietary supplements be of help?              Devices: Artificial inspiration ▶     The donor lungs of the future — built from collagen or silicone rubber or engineered from donor organs stripped of their original cells — might give a new lease of life to COPD patients.              Perspective: Clues, not conclusions ▶     Scientists have some way to go before they can prove that COPD should be treated as an autoimmune disease, says Steven R. Duncan.              Therapeutics: Strength in numbers ▶     Several new drugs for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are about to hit the market, with more in the pipeline.              Public health: Where there's smoke ▶     Air pollution and smoking have made COPD a major problem in China, now compounded by outdated diagnostics and treatments — and experts say it's bound to get worse.          Sponsors                     New web focus presents the most important clinical research published in Kidney International over the past few years. Don’t miss out! Focus on Clinical Nephrology – FREE for limited period Kidney International (KI) is one of the leading nephrology journals worldwide. It is devoted to publishing the newest and most exciting developments covering all aspects of nephrology.               Careers & Jobs ▲top               Authorship: Who's on first? ▶     When scientists collaborate on an experiment and a paper, it can be hard to decide who gets the credit and how much.                   Career-planning course ▶     US university offers for-credit graduate course in career development.                   Trouble with tracking ▶     European institutions have difficulty following graduates' career progress.                   Nobel prizes predicted ▶     Publisher aims to show links between citation rate and scientific recognition.                   Careers related news & comment                   It is time for full disclosure of author contributions | Researchers campaign to free jailed Russian chemist | Chemical society tried to block business competitor | China buys US sequencing firm | Open-access deal for particle physics | US election: Political science | US science: The Obama experiment | Sociology: Honour the helpful | Farming: Redirect research to control coffee pest Francisco Infante, Jeanneth Pérez & Fernando E. Vega | Competing interests: Follow the money on climate controversy Thomas E. DeCoursey             naturejobs.com Science jobs of the week       Research Associate in Optics / Vision Science     Kingston University London            Distinguished Research Chair in Astrophysics     Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo            Tenure Track Faculty Position     The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy            Cell Biologist     The Scripps Research Institute          No matter what your career stage, student, postdoc or senior scientist, you will find articles on naturejobs.com to help guide you in your science career. Keep up-to-date with the latest sector trends, vote in our reader poll and sign-up to receive the monthly Naturejobs newsletter.           • Nature events featured events           natureevents featured events         The biology and management of bradykinin-mediated disorders     05.11.12 London, UK         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                   Solidarity ▶     George Zebrowski                 Your email address is in the Nature mailing list. You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at: www.nature.com/nams/svc/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant). For further technical assistance, please contact subscriptions@nature.com For other enquiries, please contact feedback@nature.com Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA Nature Publishing Group's offices: Principal offices: London - New York - Tokyo Worldwide offices: Basingstoke - Boston - Buenos Aires - Delhi - Hong Kong - Madrid - Melbourne - Munich - Paris - San Francisco - Seoul - Washington DC Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © 2012 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.