Nature contents: 20 December 2012

Can't view this email? Click here to view in your browser.     Volume 492 Number 7429      nature •Visit Nature homepage •Subscribe to Nature •View Table of Contents The science that matters. Every week.                       A*STAR Research - Highlighting the best of research at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore's premier research organization Recent Highlights Stem cells: Laboratory bioreactor boosts yields | Cancer biology: Modeling cancer on the fly | Data storage: Electricity enhanced recall The new print edition of A*STAR Research is now available!             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: 2012 Review of the Year     From the discovery of the Higgs boson to the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, 2012 was an eventful year in science. Nature's end of year round-up reviews the highs and lows in research and science policy. ▼ more       Specials - Outlook: Psoriasis     After decades of modest advances, psoriasis research has caught fire. The drug pipeline is full of novel agents. Research into the role of the immune system in this skin disease is bearing fruit. Genetic studies hint at the condition's starting point. And now psoriasis is a proof-of-principle disease for other chronic inflammatory conditions. ▼ more       Physical Sciences More Physical sciences ▼   Evaporative cooling of the dipolar hydroxyl radical   Evaporative cooling is what makes a steaming cup of coffee grow cold, and forced evaporative cooling of trapped atoms is the process used to produce ultracold Bose–Einstein condensates where the quantum regime rules. Ultracold quantum gases of molecules — as opposed to atoms — may have even richer physics. This paper shows that it is possible to produce such matter, reporting microwave-forced evaporative cooling of hydroxyl (OH) molecules in a magnetic quadrupole trap.                   High quality BD reagents are now more affordable Lower pricing on BD Biosciences reagents means that you don’t have to sacrifice quality. Now the consistency and reliability of BD flow cytometry reagents are more affordable, including thousands of proven products and innovative new brilliant dyes. Find the right product for your needs here. bdbiosciences.com/reagents                 Earth & Environmental Sciences More Earth & Environmental sciences ▼   Flickering gives early warning signals of a critical transition to a eutrophic lake state   Critical transitions in experimental and theoretical systems can be anticipated on the basis of specific warning signs. It should also be also possible to predict real-world events — the global financial crisis and Arab spring for instance — but what to measure? One possibility is flickering, in which increasing shifts between alternative stable states are seen in the run up to the transition. This study uses data from a Chinese lake to show that flickering can be observed up to 20 years before a critical transition — the deterioration of the lake towards a dead state as algae consume all the oxygen.       Biological Sciences More Biological sciences ▼   Repeated polyploidization of Gossypium genomes and the evolution of spinnable cotton fibres   This study of plants of the cotton genus reveals the genetics behind the emergence of spinnable fibres in domesticated cottons. There was an abrupt sixfold ploidy increase 60 million years ago, and allopolyploidy reunited divergent genomes a million years ago. This caused a 30-fold duplication of ancestral flowering plant genes in the 'elite' cottons, Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense, compared to their progenitor G. raimondii.       Podcast & Video     In this week's podcast: This week, wine with a hint of drought, the secrets of scaling in embryos, and the biggest science stories of 2012.         Special - 2012 Review of the Year ▲top               News in Focus                   366 days: 2012 in review ▶     This epic year for science saw the discovery of the Higgs boson and Curiosity's arrival on Mars, but researchers also felt the sting of austerity.             366 days: Images of the year ▶     Disintegrating ice, spectacular sunbursts and minuscule lizards are among 2012's most striking pictures.             Feature                   366 days: Nature's 10 ▶     Ten people who mattered this year.             Comment                   Dual-use research: Self-censorship is not enough ▶     The debate over publishing potentially dangerous research on flu viruses would benefit from a closer look at history, argue David Kaiser and Jonathan D. Moreno.             Science publishing: Open access must enable open use ▶     Those wishing to maximize the benefits of public research must require more than free access, says Cameron Neylon — they must facilitate reuse.             Futures                   Review of the year: 2062 ▶     Things can only get better.             News & Views                   2012 Editors' choice ▶               News & Comment Read daily news coverage▶ ▲top             THIS WEEK           Editorials                   The limits of free speech ▶     Unregulated drug marketing stifles science and harms patients. To suggest otherwise is an affront to liberty — not a protection of it.             A burden weighed ▶     Despite some shortcomings, a global study of health metrics should be applauded.             Head of the line ▶     Japanese scientists deserve support in their bid for the next big collider.             World View                   Time to stop relying on things past ▶     US science advocates are depending on strategies and statistics that may not survive contemporary politics, says David Goldston.             Seven Days                   Seven days: 14–20 December 2012 ▶     The news in brief: Broken boiler delays Antarctic drilling; Texas cancer institute faces criminal probe; and massive shark sanctuary is founded in the Pacific.           NEWS IN FOCUS           Mega-array reveals birthplace of giant stars ▶     Early results from Atacama telescope signal the opening of a scientific frontier.             Russia shakes up its universities ▶     Government plans to close struggling institutions and increase funding to the best.             Big biotech buys iconic genetics firm ▶     Amgen's deal with deCODE Genetics shows value of combined medical and genetic data.             Global survey reveals impact of disability ▶     Study tracks changes in life expectancy and health burdens.             China's patent boom brings legal wrangles ▶     Court decision sets precedent for protecting intellectual property.           COMMENT           Books and Arts                   Viticulture: Fruity with a hint of drought ▶     Jamie Goode tracks how our changing climate is sending ripples of disruption through the wine world.             Vintage scientists ▶     Nature uncorks five tales of researchers who plunged into the heady science of viticulture.             Natural history: Diamonds in the rough ▶     Ewen Callaway delights in a cherry-picked selection of the London Natural History Museum's gargantuan trove.             Nutrition: Sugar caned ▶     David Katz finds much to chew on in a polemic on the risk of consuming too much high-fructose corn syrup.             Correspondence                   Nomenclature: English not Latin in botanical reports Frank Udovicic | NIH funding: Thousand-citation papers are outliers James Woodgett | Payback time: Invest proceeds of 4G sale in UK science Imran Khan & Stian Westlake | Data-set visibility: Cite links to data in reference lists Laurie Goodman, Rebecca Lawrence & Kevin Ashley                       We've got something to share with you Access the latest scientific news and research when and where you want it. Download the latest issues to browse at your convenience, zoom in on figures and images, save your searches and synchronize your bookmarks across devices. Tap in to find out more               Biological Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Developmental biology: Led by the nose ▶     Philippe Janvier             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Developmental biology: Segmentation within scale ▶     Naama Barkai & Ben-Zion Shilo             Craniofacial development of hagfishes and the evolution of vertebrates ▶     Yasuhiro Oisi, Kinya G. Ota, Shigehiro Kuraku, Satoko Fujimoto & Shigeru Kuratani     Comparative analysis of the genomes of one mollusc (Lottia gigantea) and two annelids (Capitella teleta and Helobdella robusta) enable a more complete reconstruction of genomic features of the last common ancestors of protostomes, bilaterians and metazoans; against this conserved background they provide the first glimpse into lineage-specific evolution and diversity of the lophotrochozoans.             Insights into bilaterian evolution from three spiralian genomes OPEN ▶     Oleg Simakov, Ferdinand Marletaz, Sung-Jin Cho, Eric Edsinger-Gonzales, Paul Havlak et al.     An analysis of staged hagfish embryos shows that the hagfish adenohypophysis is ectodermal in origin, revealing it to be a developmental quirk unique to hagfishes that was hitherto misleading; from this and other observations a ‘pan-cyclostome’ developmental pattern is derived, indicating that it was primitive for all vertebrates.             Nuclear genome transfer in human oocytes eliminates mitochondrial DNA variants ▶     Daniel Paull, Valentina Emmanuele, Keren A. Weiss, Nathan Treff, Latoya Stewart et al.     Nuclear genome transfer using unfertilized donor oocytes is performed and shown to be effective in preventing the transmission of mitochondrial DNA mutations; the swapped oocytes can develop to the blastocyst stage, and produce parthenogenetic embryonic stem-cell lines that show normal karyotypes and only mitochondrial DNA from the donor oocyte.             Structure of a presenilin family intramembrane aspartate protease ▶     Xiaochun Li, Shangyu Dang, Chuangye Yan, Xinqi Gong, Jiawei Wang et al.     Presenilin, the catalytic component of γ-secretase, cleaves amyloid precursor protein into short peptides that form the plaques that are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease; here the structure of a presenilin homologue is described, which will serve as a framework for understanding the mechanisms of action of presenilin and γ-secretase.             NLRP3 is activated in Alzheimer’s disease and contributes to pathology in APP/PS1 mice ▶     Michael T. Heneka, Markus P. Kummer, Andrea Stutz, Andrea Delekate, Stephanie Schwartz et al.     Alzheimer’s-prone mice deficient in NLRP3 or caspase-1 fail to develop learning deficits and show reduced neuropathology.             Scaling of embryonic patterning based on phase-gradient encoding ▶     Volker M. Lauschke, Charisios D. Tsiairis, Paul François & Alexander Aulehla     An ex vivo primary culture assay is developed that recapitulates mouse embryonic mesodermal patterning and segment formation; using this approach, it is shown that oscillating gene activity is central to maintain stable proportions during development.             Bacteriophage genes that inactivate the CRISPR/Cas bacterial immune system ▶     Joe Bondy-Denomy, April Pawluk, Karen L. Maxwell & Alan R. Davidson     Five classes of phage genes are identified that protect phages from CRISPR-mediated bacterial immunity.             Mosaic PPM1D mutations are associated with predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer ▶     Elise Ruark, Katie Snape, Peter Humburg, Chey Loveday, Ilirjana Bajrami et al.     Rare truncating mutations in the p53-inducible protein phosphatase PPM1D are shown to be associated with predisposition to breast cancer and ovarian cancer; notably, all of the mutations are mosaic in white blood cells but are not present in tumours, and probably have a gain-of-function effect.             Serine starvation induces stress and p53-dependent metabolic remodelling in cancer cells ▶     Oliver D. K. Maddocks, Celia R. Berkers, Susan M. Mason, Liang Zheng, Karen Blyth et al.     The authors show that p53 helps cancer cells survive serine depletion by coordinating metabolic remodelling; a diet lacking serine slowed tumour growth in mice, with p53-null tumours showing greatest sensitivity to serine starvation.             Suppression of neuroinflammation by astrocytic dopamine D2 receptors via αB-crystallin ▶     Wei Shao, Shu-zhen Zhang, Mi Tang, Xin-hua Zhang, Zheng Zhou et al.     Chronic inflammation is a feature of the ageing brain and some neurodegenerative diseases; the authors show that astrocytes normally suppress neuroinflammation through activation of their DRD2 receptor by CRYAB, potentially opening new avenues for treatments.             Articles and Letters                   Seventy-five genetic loci influencing the human red blood cell ▶     Pim van der Harst, Weihua Zhang, Irene Mateo Leach, Augusto Rendon, Niek Verweij et al.     A series of genetic studies have led to the discovery of novel independent loci and candidate genes associated with red blood cell phenotype; for a proportion of these genes potential single-nucleotide genetic variants are also identified, providing new insights into genetic pathways controlling red blood cell formation, function and pathology.             Functional screening identifies miRNAs inducing cardiac regeneration ▶     Ana Eulalio, Miguel Mano, Matteo Dal Ferro, Lorena Zentilin, Gianfranco Sinagra et al.     The human heart regenerates poorly, causing insufficient healing after injury; here, microRNAs screened for the ability to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation are shown to stimulate cardiac regeneration and almost complete recovery of the heart after infarction.             FMRP targets distinct mRNA sequence elements to regulate protein expression ▶     Manuel Ascano, Neelanjan Mukherjee, Pradeep Bandaru, Jason B. Miller, Jeffrey D. Nusbaum et al.     RNA-recognition elements are identified for the fragile-X-syndrome-associated RNA-binding protein FMRP, in addition to its target messenger RNAs; although many of FMRP gene targets discovered are involved in brain function and autism spectrum disorder, a proportion are also dysregulated in mouse ovaries, suggesting cross-regulation of signalling pathways in different tissues.             High-resolution crystal structure of human protease-activated receptor 1 ▶     Cheng Zhang, Yoga Srinivasan, Daniel H. Arlow, Juan Jose Fung, Daniel Palmer et al.     The X-ray crystal structure of the human G-protein-coupled receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) bound to the antagonist vorapaxar is solved, revealing an unusual method of drug binding that should facilitate the development of improved PAR1-selective antagonists.             Flickering gives early warning signals of a critical transition to a eutrophic lake state ▶     Rong Wang, John A. Dearing, Peter G. Langdon, Enlou Zhang, Xiangdong Yang et al.     Critical transitions in experimental and theoretical systems can be anticipated on the basis of specific warning signs, with ‘critical slowing down’ being the best studied; long-term data from a real system, a Chinese lake, now show that a flickering phenomenon can be observed up to 20 years before the critical transition to a eutrophic state.             Repeated polyploidization of Gossypium genomes and the evolution of spinnable cotton fibres  OPEN ▶     Andrew H. Paterson, Jonathan F. Wendel, Heidrun Gundlach, Hui Guo, Jerry Jenkins et al.     The Gossypium genus is used to investigate emergent consequences of polyploidy in cotton species; comparative genomic analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history including interactions among subgenomes that result in genetic novelty in elite cottons and provide insight into the evolution of spinnable fibres.             A prefrontal cortex–brainstem neuronal projection that controls response to behavioural challenge ▶     Melissa R. Warden, Aslihan Selimbeyoglu, Julie J. Mirzabekov, Maisie Lo, Kimberly R. Thompson et al.     High-speed tracking of effortful responses and neuronal activity in rats during a forced swim test identifies medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons that respond during escape-related swimming but not normal locomotion, and optogenetics shows that mPFC neurons projecting to the brainstem dorsal raphe nucleus, which is implicated in depression, modulate this behavioural response to challenge             Layered reward signalling through octopamine and dopamine in Drosophila ▶     Christopher J. Burke, Wolf Huetteroth, David Owald, Emmanuel Perisse, Michael J. Krashes et al.     Dopamine is synonymous with reward in mammals but associated with aversive reinforcement in insects, where reward seems to be signalled by octopamine; here it is shown that flies have discrete populations of dopamine neurons representing positive or negative values that are coordinately regulated by octopamine.             Somatic copy number mosaicism in human skin revealed by induced pluripotent stem cells ▶     Alexej Abyzov, Jessica Mariani, Dean Palejev, Ying Zhang, Michael Seamus Haney et al.     A whole-genome and transcriptome analysis of 20 human induced pluripotent stem-cell lines shows that reprogramming does not necessarily add de novo copy number variants to what is already present in the somatic cells from which they originated.             Tet1 controls meiosis by regulating meiotic gene expression ▶     Shinpei Yamaguchi, Kwonho Hong, Rui Liu, Li Shen, Azusa Inoue et al.     A loss-of-function approach in mice is used to show that the methylcytosine dioxygenase Tet1 has a role in regulating meiosis and meiotic gene activation in female germ cells; Tet1 deficiency does not greatly affect genome-wide demethylation but has a more specific effect on the expression of a subset of meiotic genes.             Structure of the Mediator head module ▶     Laurent Larivière, Clemens Plaschka, Martin Seizl, Larissa Wenzeck, Fabian Kurth et al.     The crystal structure of the Mediator head module from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is solved at 3.4 Å resolution.             Ventral tegmental area GABA projections pause accumbal cholinergic interneurons to enhance associative learning ▶     Matthew T. C. Brown, Kelly R. Tan, Eoin C. O’Connor, Irina Nikonenko, Dominique Muller et al.     GABA-releasing neurons from the ventral tegmental area that project to the nucleus accumbens are shown to block the firing of cholinergic accumbal interneurons, affecting learning in mice.             News & Views                   Neurodevelopmental disorders: Signalling pathways of fragile X syndrome ▶     Sabarinath Jayaseelan & Scott A. Tenenbaum             Cardiovascular biology: A boost for heart regeneration ▶     Mark Mercola             Cancer: Metabolism in 'the driver's seat ▶     Luisa Tasselli & Katrin F. Chua             Epigenetics: Erase for a new start ▶     Sylvain Guibert & Michael Weber             2012 Editors' choice ▶             Developmental biology: Led by the nose ▶     Philippe Janvier             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Developmental biology: Segmentation within scale ▶     Naama Barkai & Ben-Zion Shilo             Research Highlights                   Animal behaviour: Benefits of mixed flocks | Palaeoecology: Teeth speak of dietary change | Environmental science: Rivers' antibiotic resistance threat | Ecology: When plants run the food chain | Genetics: RNA tails time protein production | Cancer: Clonal clues reveal cancer chaos | Taxonomy: Scarce cetaceans catalogued         NEWS & COMMENT           The limits of free speech | A burden weighed | Big biotech buys iconic genetics firm | Global survey reveals impact of disability | China's patent boom brings legal wrangles | 366 days: 2012 in review | 366 days: Images of the year | 366 days: Nature's 10 | Dual-use research: Self-censorship is not enough | Viticulture: Fruity with a hint of drought | Vintage scientists | Natural history: Diamonds in the rough | Nutrition: Sugar caned | Nomenclature: English not Latin in botanical reports Frank Udovicic | Data-set visibility: Cite links to data in reference lists Laurie Goodman, Rebecca Lawrence & Kevin Ashley             More Biological Sciences ▶                         Royal Society medals and awards 2013 - Call for nominations open The Royal Society's medals, awards and prize lectureships provide an opportunity for you to celebrate excellence in science among your colleagues and the scientific community. We invite you to nominate scientists who have made outstanding achievements in all areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The deadline for nominations is Friday 8 February 2013. For more information please visit royalsociety.org/awards/nominations.               Chemical Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Computational materials science: Trustworthy predictions ▶     Paul R. C. Kent             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Towards an exact description of electronic wavefunctions in real solids ▶     George H. Booth, Andreas Grüneis, Georg Kresse & Ali Alavi     Recent developments that reduce the computational cost and scaling of wavefunction-based quantum-chemical techniques open the way to the successful application of such techniques to a variety of real-world solids.             Structure of a presenilin family intramembrane aspartate protease ▶     Xiaochun Li, Shangyu Dang, Chuangye Yan, Xinqi Gong, Jiawei Wang et al.     Presenilin, the catalytic component of γ-secretase, cleaves amyloid precursor protein into short peptides that form the plaques that are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease; here the structure of a presenilin homologue is described, which will serve as a framework for understanding the mechanisms of action of presenilin and γ-secretase.             Articles and Letters                   FMRP targets distinct mRNA sequence elements to regulate protein expression ▶     Manuel Ascano, Neelanjan Mukherjee, Pradeep Bandaru, Jason B. Miller, Jeffrey D. Nusbaum et al.     RNA-recognition elements are identified for the fragile-X-syndrome-associated RNA-binding protein FMRP, in addition to its target messenger RNAs; although many of FMRP gene targets discovered are involved in brain function and autism spectrum disorder, a proportion are also dysregulated in mouse ovaries, suggesting cross-regulation of signalling pathways in different tissues.             High-resolution crystal structure of human protease-activated receptor 1 ▶     Cheng Zhang, Yoga Srinivasan, Daniel H. Arlow, Juan Jose Fung, Daniel Palmer et al.     The X-ray crystal structure of the human G-protein-coupled receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) bound to the antagonist vorapaxar is solved, revealing an unusual method of drug binding that should facilitate the development of improved PAR1-selective antagonists.             Flickering gives early warning signals of a critical transition to a eutrophic lake state ▶     Rong Wang, John A. Dearing, Peter G. Langdon, Enlou Zhang, Xiangdong Yang et al.     Critical transitions in experimental and theoretical systems can be anticipated on the basis of specific warning signs, with ‘critical slowing down’ being the best studied; long-term data from a real system, a Chinese lake, now show that a flickering phenomenon can be observed up to 20 years before the critical transition to a eutrophic state.             Structure of the Mediator head module ▶     Laurent Larivière, Clemens Plaschka, Martin Seizl, Larissa Wenzeck, Fabian Kurth et al.     The crystal structure of the Mediator head module from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is solved at 3.4 Å resolution.             News & Views                   Neurodevelopmental disorders: Signalling pathways of fragile X syndrome ▶     Sabarinath Jayaseelan & Scott A. Tenenbaum             Low-temperature physics: Cool molecules ▶     Paul S. Julienne             2012 Editors' choice ▶             Computational materials science: Trustworthy predictions ▶     Paul R. C. Kent             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Research Highlights                   Environmental science: Rivers' antibiotic resistance threat         NEWS & COMMENT           China's patent boom brings legal wrangles | 366 days: 2012 in review | Viticulture: Fruity with a hint of drought | Vintage scientists             More Chemical Sciences ▶               Physical Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Computational materials science: Trustworthy predictions ▶     Paul R. C. Kent             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Non-Fermi-liquid d-wave metal phase of strongly interacting electrons ▶     Hong-Chen Jiang, Matthew S. Block, Ryan V. Mishmash, James R. Garrison, D. N. Sheng et al.     An explicit theoretical construction of a metallic non-Fermi liquid ground state opens a route to attack long-standing problems such as the ‘strange metal’ phase of high-temperature superconductors.             Towards an exact description of electronic wavefunctions in real solids ▶     George H. Booth, Andreas Grüneis, Georg Kresse & Ali Alavi     Recent developments that reduce the computational cost and scaling of wavefunction-based quantum-chemical techniques open the way to the successful application of such techniques to a variety of real-world solids.             Structure of a presenilin family intramembrane aspartate protease ▶     Xiaochun Li, Shangyu Dang, Chuangye Yan, Xinqi Gong, Jiawei Wang et al.     Presenilin, the catalytic component of γ-secretase, cleaves amyloid precursor protein into short peptides that form the plaques that are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease; here the structure of a presenilin homologue is described, which will serve as a framework for understanding the mechanisms of action of presenilin and γ-secretase.             Articles and Letters                   FMRP targets distinct mRNA sequence elements to regulate protein expression ▶     Manuel Ascano, Neelanjan Mukherjee, Pradeep Bandaru, Jason B. Miller, Jeffrey D. Nusbaum et al.     RNA-recognition elements are identified for the fragile-X-syndrome-associated RNA-binding protein FMRP, in addition to its target messenger RNAs; although many of FMRP gene targets discovered are involved in brain function and autism spectrum disorder, a proportion are also dysregulated in mouse ovaries, suggesting cross-regulation of signalling pathways in different tissues.             High-resolution crystal structure of human protease-activated receptor 1 ▶     Cheng Zhang, Yoga Srinivasan, Daniel H. Arlow, Juan Jose Fung, Daniel Palmer et al.     The X-ray crystal structure of the human G-protein-coupled receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) bound to the antagonist vorapaxar is solved, revealing an unusual method of drug binding that should facilitate the development of improved PAR1-selective antagonists.             Dynamical age differences among coeval star clusters as revealed by blue stragglers ▶     F. R. Ferraro, B. Lanzoni, E. Dalessandro, G. Beccari, M. Pasquato et al.     Globular clusters can be grouped into a few distinct families on the basis of the radial distribution of ‘blue stragglers’, stars with masses greater than those at the turn-off point on the main sequence; this grouping can yield a direct measure of the cluster’s dynamical age purely from observed properties.             Evaporative cooling of the dipolar hydroxyl radical ▶     Benjamin K. Stuhl, Matthew T. Hummon, Mark Yeo, Goulven Quéméner, John L. Bohn et al.     Evaporative cooling of molecules has not been achieved so far, owing to unfavourable collision properties and trap losses; microwave-forced evaporative cooling of hydroxyl molecules loaded in a magnetic quadrupole trap is now reported.             The Josephson heat interferometer ▶     Francesco Giazotto & María José Martínez-Pérez     A thermal analogue of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID, widely used to measure small magnetic fields) is realized, in which the flow of heat between the superconductors is dependent on the quantum phase difference between them.             Fractionalized excitations in the spin-liquid state of a kagome-lattice antiferromagnet ▶     Tian-Heng Han, Joel S. Helton, Shaoyan Chu, Daniel G. Nocera, Jose A. Rodriguez-Rivera et al.     Neutron scattering measurements on single-crystal samples of the mineral herbertsmithite, which is a spin-1/2 kagome-lattice antiferromagnet, provide evidence of fractionalized spin excitations at low temperatures, indicating that the ground state of herbertsmithite may be a quantum spin liquid.             Quasi-cylindrical wave contribution in experiments on extraordinary optical transmission ▶     Frerik van Beijnum, Chris Rétif, Chris B. Smiet, Haitao Liu, Philippe Lalanne et al.     Results on light scattering from metal hole arrays show the relative importance of surface plasmon polaritons and quasi-cylindrical waves in extraordinary optical transmission.             Laboratory measurements of the viscous anisotropy of olivine aggregates ▶     L. N. Hansen, M. E. Zimmerman & D. L. Kohlstedt     Measurements of the viscous anisotropy of highly deformed polycrystalline olivine find it to be approximately an order of magnitude larger than that predicted by grain-scale simulations; the maximum degree of anisotropy is reached at geologically low shear strain, such that deforming regions of the Earth’s upper mantle should exhibit significant viscous anisotropy.             Flickering gives early warning signals of a critical transition to a eutrophic lake state ▶     Rong Wang, John A. Dearing, Peter G. Langdon, Enlou Zhang, Xiangdong Yang et al.     Critical transitions in experimental and theoretical systems can be anticipated on the basis of specific warning signs, with ‘critical slowing down’ being the best studied; long-term data from a real system, a Chinese lake, now show that a flickering phenomenon can be observed up to 20 years before the critical transition to a eutrophic state.             Structure of the Mediator head module ▶     Laurent Larivière, Clemens Plaschka, Martin Seizl, Larissa Wenzeck, Fabian Kurth et al.     The crystal structure of the Mediator head module from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is solved at 3.4 Å resolution.             News & Views                   Thermal physics: Quantum interference heats up ▶     Raymond W. Simmonds             Neurodevelopmental disorders: Signalling pathways of fragile X syndrome ▶     Sabarinath Jayaseelan & Scott A. Tenenbaum             50 & 100 Years Ago ▶             Low-temperature physics: Cool molecules ▶     Paul S. Julienne             2012 Editors' choice ▶             Computational materials science: Trustworthy predictions ▶     Paul R. C. Kent             Structural biology: Membrane enzyme cuts a fine figure ▶     Michael S. Wolfe             Research Highlights                   Astronomy: From the Kuiper Belt to comets | Environmental science: Rivers' antibiotic resistance threat | Materials: Grains call a halt with sound | Geology: Counting geoneutrinos         NEWS & COMMENT           Head of the line | Mega-array reveals birthplace of giant stars | China's patent boom brings legal wrangles | 366 days: 2012 in review | 366 days: Images of the year | 366 days: Nature's 10 | Dual-use research: Self-censorship is not enough | Viticulture: Fruity with a hint of drought | Vintage scientists | Natural history: Diamonds in the rough           CAREERS           Turning point: Julia Greer             More Physical Sciences ▶               Earth & Environmental Sciences ▲top             RESEARCH           Latest Online                   Developmental biology: Led by the nose ▶     Philippe Janvier             Articles and Letters                   Laboratory measurements of the viscous anisotropy of olivine aggregates ▶     L. N. Hansen, M. E. Zimmerman & D. L. Kohlstedt     Measurements of the viscous anisotropy of highly deformed polycrystalline olivine find it to be approximately an order of magnitude larger than that predicted by grain-scale simulations; the maximum degree of anisotropy is reached at geologically low shear strain, such that deforming regions of the Earth’s upper mantle should exhibit significant viscous anisotropy.             Flickering gives early warning signals of a critical transition to a eutrophic lake state ▶     Rong Wang, John A. Dearing, Peter G. Langdon, Enlou Zhang, Xiangdong Yang et al.     Critical transitions in experimental and theoretical systems can be anticipated on the basis of specific warning signs, with ‘critical slowing down’ being the best studied; long-term data from a real system, a Chinese lake, now show that a flickering phenomenon can be observed up to 20 years before the critical transition to a eutrophic state.             News & Views                   50 & 100 Years Ago ▶             Earth science: Go with the lows ▶     Andrew Mitchinson             2012 Editors' choice ▶             Developmental biology: Led by the nose ▶     Philippe Janvier             Research Highlights                   Animal behaviour: Benefits of mixed flocks | Palaeoecology: Teeth speak of dietary change | Environmental science: Rivers' antibiotic resistance threat | Ecology: When plants run the food chain | Geology: Counting geoneutrinos         NEWS & COMMENT           366 days: 2012 in review | 366 days: Images of the year | 366 days: Nature's 10 | Viticulture: Fruity with a hint of drought | Natural history: Diamonds in the rough             More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶               Special - Nature Outlook: PsoriasisFree Access ▲top               Psoriasis ▶     Michelle Grayson              Psoriasis uncovered ▶     Science is finally getting to grips with this enigmatic autoimmune disease.              Immunology: A many layered thing ▶     No mere passive barrier, the skin is being revealed to be an active part of the immune system. Researchers are now starting to understand its role in driving psoriasis.              Perspective: Don't be superficial ▶     Severe psoriasis carries cardiovascular risks. Dermatologists should consider more than just patients' outer layers, argues Henning Boehncke.              Genetics: Deep exploration ▶     Recent discoveries are redefining the role of the immune system in psoriasis, and may help to unravel the mystery of the disease's origins.              Therapeutics: Silencing psoriasis ▶     The latest drugs hold fantastic promise for people with severe psoriasis. But where are the treatment options for the far larger number with less serious cases?              Microbiome: The surface brigade ▶     Our skin is home to thousands of species of bacteria — and when these microscopic societies are disrupted, skin infections can arise.              Psychodermatology: An emotional response ▶     As the link between stress and psoriasis flare-ups becomes clearer, it seems the most vulnerable patients require a new type of treatment.              Q&A: Under their skin ▶     Psoriasis can have a profound impact on patients' emotional and social lives. Christopher Griffiths, a dermatologist at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, discusses the disease's psychological fallout and its links with stress.          Sponsors                     Bio-Rad is your reliable source for high quality PVDF membranes. 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They’re in stock and available for purchase today!               Careers & Jobs ▲top               Guiding lights ▶     The three Nordic winners of this year's Nature mentoring awards respond exceptionally to scientific and personal challenges, says Philip Campbell.                   Turning point: Julia Greer ▶     Materials scientist hopes tenure will allow her time for new research directions — and to play the piano.                   Mentoring analysed ▶     The best mentors listen closely, help to set goals and have useful networks.                   Policy fellowship pulled ▶     US National Academies suspends popular science programme.                   Postdoc leader sought ▶     Executive director of US postdoctoral association steps down.                   Careers related news & comment                   The limits of free speech | Russia shakes up its universities | Big biotech buys iconic genetics firm | Nomenclature: English not Latin in botanical reports Frank Udovicic | NIH funding: Thousand-citation papers are outliers James Woodgett | Payback time: Invest proceeds of 4G sale in UK science Imran Khan & Stian Westlake | Data-set visibility: Cite links to data in reference lists Laurie Goodman, Rebecca Lawrence & Kevin Ashley             naturejobs.com Science jobs of the week       Lead World-Changing Research to Improve Health Outcomes     University of Sydney            Postdoc Evolutionary Genetics     Jagiellonian University in Krakow            Assistant or Associate Professor (Tenure-track)     Louisiana State Univeristy            Postdoctoral Research Associate     Aston University, School of Life and Health Sciences          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         European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2013     18.-20.03.13 Hamburg, Germany         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                   Review of the year: 2062 ▶     John Gilbey                 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. 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