Subject: Nature 12 July 2007 Volume 448 Number 7150, pp105-224

From: "Nature Alert"<[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:34:12 -0400 (EDT)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume 448 Number 7150 105-224

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In this issue
Editorials
Research Highlights
News
News in Brief
Column
Business
News Features
Correspondence
Commentary
Books and Arts
Essay
News and Views
Articles
Letters
NaturejobsFutures

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Editor's summary
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Editorials

Top

A geographical error p105
The most suitably qualified person should secure an important post, in almost all instances. But competing interests among nations mean that this is not always the case in Europe.
doi:10.1038/448105a
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Safety clause p105
US research on bioweapons has expanded rapidly, without sufficiently transparent regulation.
doi:10.1038/448105b
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Hard to swallow p105
Is it possible to gauge the true potential of traditional Chinese medicine?
doi:10.1038/448106a
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See also: Editor's summary

Research Highlights

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Research highlights p108
doi:10.1038/448108a
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News

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HIV trial doomed by design, say critics p110
Microbicide gel dosage prompts call for rethink.
Erika Check
doi:10.1038/448110a
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Conserving life and livelihood p111
Does conservation really benefit the poor?
Emma Marris
doi:10.1038/448111a
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Sidelines p112
doi:10.1038/448112a
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Austria's science institute gathers steam p112
Plan for graduate-level facility back on track.
Carina Lenotti
doi:10.1038/448112b
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Snapshot: Marks of distinction p113
Historians follow paper trail for artistic etching.
Alison Abbott
doi:10.1038/448113a
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French universities to gain control p113
President Sarkozy promises freedom in his reform bill.
Declan Butler
doi:10.1038/448113b
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Fly library boosts gene tool supply p115
Massive collection of transgenic Drosophila spreads its wings.
Heidi Ledford
doi:10.1038/448115a
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See also: Editor's summary

Activated eggs offer route to stem cells p116
Technique could sidestep need for viable embryos.
David Cyranoski
doi:10.1038/448116a
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News in Brief

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News in brief p117
doi:10.1038/448117a
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Column

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Party of One
Technical advice p119
Scientists tend to complain that Congress rarely pays heed to what they have to say. But the issues are often as much about values as they are science, says David Goldston.
David Goldston
doi:10.1038/448119a
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Business

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Civil aviation faces green challenge p120
As a fast-growing emitter of greenhouse gases, the aviation industry is under intense pressure to improve its fuel efficiency. Kurt Kleiner surveys its options.
doi:10.1038/448120a
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In brief p121
doi:10.1038/448121a
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Market watch p121
doi:10.1038/448121b
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News Features

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Mass extinctions: Reading the book of death p122
Studies of mass extinctions tend to emphasize the sheer scope of the carnage. But subtle differences between the species that died and those that survived can be crucial, finds Nick Lane.
doi:10.1038/448122a
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See also: Editor's summary

Traditional medicine: A culture in the balance p126
Traditional Chinese medicine and Western science face almost irreconcilable differences. Can systems biology bring them together? Jane Qiu reports.
doi:10.1038/448126a
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See also: Editor's summary

Correspondence

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Authors' financial interests should be made known to manuscript reviewers p129
Inmaculada de Melo-Martín and Kristen Intemann
doi:10.1038/448129a
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Space-time safe — at least until the LHC switches on p129
Thomas Dent
doi:10.1038/448129b
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Mentors could support a student reviewer database p129
Angelo P. Pernetta
doi:10.1038/448129c
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Mentors: public lists would help students choose p129
Ben Barres
doi:10.1038/448129d
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How incompatibilities may have led to eukaryotic cell p130
Yaacov Davidov and Edouard Jurkevitch
doi:10.1038/448130a
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Text mining: powering the database revolution p130
Udo Hahn, Joachim Wermter, Rainer Blasczyk and Peter A. Horn
doi:10.1038/448130b
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Commentary

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Beyond the troubled relationship p131
If scientific culture in the Muslim world has changed since the golden era of Islamic science, so has the practice of Islam. Reintroducing knowledge and creativity requires a revival of both, argues Ziauddin Sardar.
doi:10.1038/448131a
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See also: Editor's summary

Books and Arts

Top

Imagine a better world p135
Given that humans are here to stay on Earth for some time yet, what can we do to lessen our impact?
Stuart L. Pimm reviews The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
doi:10.1038/448135a
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Degrees of change p136
Stefan Rahmstorf reviews Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lynas
doi:10.1038/448136a
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Culture costs lives p137
Michael B. A. Oldstone reviews Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver by Arthur Allen
doi:10.1038/448137a
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Essay

Top

Linnaeus and taxonomy in Japan p139
Doctors at the Dutch Trading House on Dejima were a conduit for science into and out of Europe.
His Majesty The Emperor of Japan
doi:10.1038/448139a
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See also: Editor's summary

News and Views

Top

Photonics: Light in chains p141
Diffraction places a fundamental limit on the smallest scales at which light can be controlled. A nanoscale silver array not only circumvents the barrier, but steers different-coloured light to different places.
Niek F. van Hulst
doi:10.1038/448141a
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Gene transcription: Extending the message p142
During transcription, RNA polymerase catalyses the addition of nucleotides to the growing RNA chain. High-resolution structural snapshots indicate that the polymerase first identifies its substrate, and then incorporates it.
Patrick Cramer
doi:10.1038/448142a
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See also: Editor's summary

Extrasolar planets: Water on distant worlds p143
Is the presence of water a feature common to all gas-giant planets? The first convincing detection of water vapour in the atmosphere of such a planet from outside our Solar System indicates that the answer is yes.
Heather A. Knutson
doi:10.1038/448143a
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See also: Editor's summary

Plant ecology: Family roots p145
Experiments in which related and unrelated plants were grown together reveal the ability of roots to recognize their kin. The ecological and evolutionary implications are tantalizing topics for future studies.
Ragan M. Callaway and Bruce E. Mahall
doi:10.1038/448145a
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50 & 100 Years Ago p146
doi:10.1038/448146a
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Neurophysiology: Channelling cold reception p147
Perception of cold and hot is one of life's essentials. Three research teams find that, when a temperature-sensing receptor is deleted in mice, the animals lose their response to a range of cold temperatures.
Bernd Nilius and Thomas Voets
doi:10.1038/448147a
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See also: Editor's summary

Toxicology: Danger in the diet p148
Tim Lincoln
doi:10.1038/448148a
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Obituary: Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (1932–2007) p149
Pioneer of soft-matter physics.
Françoise Brochard-Wyart
doi:10.1038/448149a
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Articles

Top

A genome-wide transgenic RNAi library for conditional gene inactivation in Drosophila p151
A library of transgenic flies expressing RNAi in a conditional manner, for virtually every gene in the Drosophila melanogaster genome, has been generated. This resource will allow the community to test the function of every gene, in any cell type, at any development stage, or in response to various types of experimental stimulations.
Georg Dietzl et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05954
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

Structural basis for transcription elongation by bacterial RNA polymerase p157
Crystal structure of bacterial RNA polymerase bound to the DNA template and RNA product, revealing a detailed view of the transcription elongation complex.
Dmitry G. Vassylyev et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05932
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Cramer

Structural basis for substrate loading in bacterial RNA polymerase p163
Crystal structures of bacterial RNA polymerase elongation complexes bound to NTP substrate analogues with an antibiotic, revealing the mechanism of substrate loading and antibiotic inhibition.
Dmitry G. Vassylyev et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05931
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Cramer

Letters

Top

Water vapour in the atmosphere of a transiting extrasolar planet p169
A report of recent observations of the close-in extrasolar giant planet (hot Jupiter) HD 189733b taken during the transit, where the planet passed in front of its parent star. Absorption by water vapour is the most likely cause of the wavelength-dependent variations in the effective radius of the planet.
Giovanna Tinetti et al.
doi:10.1038/nature06002
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Knutson

Compositional homogeneity in the fragmented comet 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 3 p172
A report of the chemical composition of two distinct fragments of comet 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 3. The fragments are similar in composition, in contrast to the chemical diversity of comets and contrary to the expectation that short-period comets should show strong compositional variation with depth.
N. Dello Russo et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05908
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

High-resolution spectroscopy of two-dimensional electron systems p176
A powerful new spectroscopic technique (high-resolution time-domain capacitance spectroscopy) for detailed exploration of the energy structure of two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) gives a quantitative and precise view of electron–electron interactions in a 2DES, and reveals several phenomena at energies that cannot be reached with other techniques.
O. E. Dial, R. C. Ashoori, L. N. Pfeiffer and K. W. West
doi:10.1038/nature05982
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF

Reversal of the net dinitrogen gas flux in coastal marine sediments p180
Marine sediments can switch from being a net sink to a net source of nitrogen. Mesocosm and core incubation experiments, together with a historic data set of mean annual chlorophyll production, suggest that a climate-induced decrease in primary production has led to a decrease in organic matter deposition to the benthos and the observed reversal of the net sediment nitrogen flux.
R. W. Fulweiler, S. W. Nixon, B. A. Buckley and S. L. Granger
doi:10.1038/nature05963
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

Spreading rate dependence of gravity anomalies along oceanic transform faults p183
Gravity and bathymetry data from transform fault systems associated with mid-ocean ridges that are spreading at different rates indicates that crustal thickening may occur under transform faults associated with intermediate- and fast-spreading ridges. If confirmed, this observation would require a change in our understanding of how magma accretion occurs along rapidly spreading mid-ocean ridges.
Patricia M. Gregg, Jian Lin, Mark D. Behn and Laurent G. J. Montési
doi:10.1038/nature05962
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF

Biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality p188
An analysis of published data from grassland biodiversity experiments looks at the relationship between biodiversity and multiple ecological processes (ecosystem multifunctionality). Different species often influence different ecosystem functions, suggesting that studies considering single ecosystem services in isolation may severely underestimate the levels of biodiversity required for fully functioning ecosystems.
Andy Hector and Robert Bagchi
doi:10.1038/nature05947
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

Derivation of pluripotent epiblast stem cells from mammalian embryos p191
A study revealing that pluripotent stem cells (EpiSCs) can be derived from the late epiblast layer of post-implantation mouse and rat embryos. To achieve this, a chemically defined, activin-containing culture medium known to be sufficient for long-term maintenance of human embryonic stem cells is used. These findings will help to understand the biological provenance of human embryonic stem cells.
I. Gabrielle M. Brons et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05950
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

New cell lines from mouse epiblast share defining features with human embryonic stem cells p196
Mouse and human embryonic stem (ES) cells use different signalling pathways to maintain their pluripotent status. Now, a new kind of pluripotent ES cell is described. This cell type is derived from mouse embryos after they implant in the wall of the uterus, and shares many defining features with human ES cells, including signalling responses that control differentiation to somatic fates.
Paul J. Tesar et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05972
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

An intracellular P2X receptor required for osmoregulation in Dictyostelium discoideum p200
Membrane ion channels of the P2X class, which are gated by extracellular ATP, have been thought to be an exclusivity of multicellular organisms. Now, a functional P2X receptor in the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum has been found. It helps D. discoideum to adapt its cell volume to conditions of salinity. This discovery suggests vastly expanded modes of action for this important class of membrane receptors.
Samuel J. Fountain et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05926
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF

The menthol receptor TRPM8 is the principal detector of environmental cold p204
The identity of the transduction molecules underlying cold sensation has long been a mystery in sensory physiology. Now, using a combination of electrophysiological recording, calcium imaging and behavioural analysis, TRPM8 is shown to have a major role in normal cold transduction in mice.
Diana M. Bautista et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05910
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Nilius & Voets

An efflux transporter of silicon in rice p209
Jian Feng Ma et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05964
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

Antitumour drugs impede DNA uncoiling by topoisomerase I p213
A report on single topoisomerase molecules in action, showing that topoisomerase inhibitors don't just stabilize an intermediate but actually affect the ability of topoisomerase to relax DNA supercoiling, suggesting a new mechanism by which these drugs cause cytotoxicity.
Daniel A. Koster et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05938
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary

Naturejobs

Top

Prospect
Government-funded labs have their perks, and their challenges p219
Gene Russo
doi:10.1038/nj7150-219a
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Special Report
Fighting Back p220
Emerging from scandal and reorganization, Los Alamos National Laboratory hopes to retain talent and remain at the cutting edge. Karen Fox reports.
Karen Fox
doi:10.1038/nj7150-220a
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France Córdova, president, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana p222
France Córdova becomes Purdue University's president.
Virginia Gewin
doi:10.1038/nj7150-222a
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Engineering a place for women p222
Everyday workplace culture might be keeping women out of science, engineering and technology fields in Britain.
Roger Livesey
doi:10.1038/nj7150-222b
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(Almost) in press p222
Composing a manuscript is a laborious task. Could there be a better way some day?
Peter Jordan
doi:10.1038/nj7150-222c
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Futures

Top

A piratical sabbatical p224
It's just too good to be true.
Ian Whates
doi:10.1038/448224a
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Advance Online Publication

Top

11 July 2007
ARTICLES
IGF and FGF cooperatively establish the regulatory stem cell niche of pluripotent human cells in vitro
Sean C. Bendall et al.
doi:10.1038/nature06027
First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary information

Identification of the transforming EML4-ALK fusion gene in non-small-cell lung cancer
Manabu Soda et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05945
First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary information

LETTER
A flagellin-induced complex of the receptor FLS2 and BAK1 initiates plant defence
Delphine Chinchilla et al.
doi:10.1038/nature05999
First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary information

8 July 2007
LETTER
DAI (DLM-1/ZBP1) is a cytosolic DNA sensor and an activator of innate immune response
Akinori Takaoka et al.
doi:10.1038/nature06013
First Paragraph | Full Text | PDF | Supplementary information

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