nature

THIS WEEK

Editorials

Lessons of a triple disaster ▶

The aftermath of the biggest earthquake in Japan's history, and the tsunami and nuclear disaster that followed, offers a map for preparing for the next catastrophe.

Political science ▶

The practice of science cannot be, nor should it be, entirely apolitical.

Gold in the text? ▶

Publishers and scientists should do more to foster the mining of research literature by computer.

World View

No theory is too special to question ▶

The flurry of research that followed the claim of faster-than-light neutrinos was far from a waste of time, says Giovanni Amelino-Camelia.

Seven Days

Seven days: 2–8 March 2012 ▶

The week in science: China’s research-budget boost; UN meets Millennium Development goals in water and poverty; and the NIH launches an online registry for genetic tests.

NEWS IN FOCUS

Cuts hamper bid to tackle AIDS ▶

Medics warn of missed chance to use drugs to curb HIV.

A solid case for Majorana fermions ▶

First compelling evidence of self-annihilating entities in a semiconductor is a step forward for quantum computing.

Laser fusion nears crucial milestone ▶

National Ignition Facility approaches energy break-even point, but uncertainty over next step persists.

Trouble at the text mine ▶

Computers can rapidly scan through thousands of research papers to make useful connections, but work is being slowed by publishers' unease.

Features

The Japanese tsunami: After shock ▶

Japan's nuclear crisis: Fukushima's legacy of fear ▶

Japan's worst-ever nuclear accident displaced more than 100,000 people. Many could now safely return home. Yet mistrust of the government prolongs their exile.

Rebuilding Japan: After the deluge ▶

Japan is rebuilding its coastal cities to protect people from the biggest tsunamis.

Tsunami forecasting: The next wave ▶

What can scientists learn from the Tohoku tragedy to improve tsunami forecasting and save lives?

COMMENT

Earthquake hazards: Putting seismic research to most effective use ▶

Today's tools and geophysical knowledge could be utilized more effectively for earthquake hazard mitigation, says Hiroo Kanamori.

Seismology: Why giant earthquakes keep catching us out ▶

A spate of huge earthquakes in the past seven years has provided humbling lessons, says Thorne Lay.

Energy policy: The nuclear landscape ▶

The accident at Fukushima has convinced many nations to phase out nuclear power. Economics will be the deciding force, says Peter Bradford.

Books and Arts

Energy: Plumbing the depths ▶

A chronicle of events preceding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has a thriller-like edge, finds Amanda Mascarelli.

Books in brief ▶

Photography: Force of nature ▶

Stefan Michalowski and Georgia Smith thrill to artist Berenice Abbott's 'portraits' of physical forces.

Q&A: Jazz experimentalist ▶

Vijay Iyer is a New York jazz pianist who has academic roots in physics and music cognition. As he releases Accelerando — a follow-up to his 2009 world number one jazz album Historicity — he talks about the bodily origins of rhythm, the science of improvisation and the social function of music.

Correspondence

Future pandemics: Step up funding for flu prevention Simon N. Williams | Degraded ecosystems: Keep jellyfish numbers in check Anthony J. Richardson, Daniel Pauly & Mark J. Gibbons | Genetics research: Clinical standards not practical in the lab Klaus Lindpaintner | Sugar: an excess of anything can harm Richard C. Cottrell

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Neurodegeneration: Trouble in the cell's powerhouse ▶

Derek P. Narendra & Richard J. Youle

The 2.8 Å crystal structure of the dynein motor domain ▶

Takahide Kon, Takuji Oyama, Rieko Shimo-Kon, Kenji Imamula, Tomohiro Shima et al.

The crystal structure of the entire motor domain of cytoplasmic dynein at the highest resolution so far is presented, giving insights into the communication between the different subdomains of the motor.

An oxygenase that forms and deoxygenates toxic epoxide ▶

Robin Teufel, Thorsten Friedrich & Georg Fuchs

The epoxidase PaaABCE, which converts phenylacetyl-CoA into its ring-1,2-epoxide, is shown to be also able to mediate the NADPH-dependent removal of that epoxide, ensuring that the intracellular concentrations of the toxic epoxide does not exceed a certain ‘acceptable’ concentration.

A petunia ABC protein controls strigolactone-dependent symbiotic signalling and branching ▶

Tobias Kretzschmar, Wouter Kohlen, Joelle Sasse, Lorenzo Borghi, Markus Schlegel et al.

The Petunia hybrida ABC transporter PDR1 functions in strigolactone export from the roots and is important for regulating symbiosis and axillary branch development.

On the difficulty of increasing dental complexity ▶

Enni Harjunmaa, Aki Kallonen, Maria Voutilainen, Keijo Hämäläinen, Marja L. Mikkola et al.

Activation of EDA and activin A signalling, and inhibition of SHH signalling pathways together increase the number of cusps on cultured mouse cheek teeth, showing that a substantial increase in complexity requires multiple changes in developmental regulation.

Phase transitions in the assembly of multivalent signalling proteins ▶

Pilong Li, Sudeep Banjade, Hui-Chun Cheng, Soyeon Kim, Baoyu Chen et al.

The mechanisms by which the ångström-scale molecular properties of cells are translated to micrometre-scale macroscopic properties have not been well understood, but this study shows that when multivalent proteins interact with each other, they undergo a switch-like phase separation, which is concomitant with a transition from small complexes to huge polymeric assemblies, as the concentration increases.

The BAH domain of ORC1 links H4K20me2 to DNA replication licensing and Meier–Gorlin syndrome ▶

Alex J. Kuo, Jikui Song, Peggie Cheung, Satoko Ishibe-Murakami, Sayumi Yamazoe et al.

The ORC1 BAH domain is shown to be a module that recognizes a histone modification associated with replication origins, providing insight into the aetiology of Meier–Gorlin syndrome.

Neuroscience: How brains learn to control machines ▶

David T. Blake

Corticostriatal plasticity is necessary for learning intentional neuroprosthetic skills ▶

Aaron C. Koralek, Xin Jin, John D. Long II, Rui M. Costa & Jose M. Carmena

A novel study in rodents suggests that corticostriatal plasticity is necessary for abstract skill learning.

Coevolution in multidimensional trait space favours escape from parasites and pathogens ▶

R. Tucker Gilman, Scott L. Nuismer & Dwueng-Chwuan Jhwueng

Although pathogens and parasites have short life cycles that let them evolve rapidly, victims can match or overcome exploiter evolution when coevolution involves multiple traits.

Enzymatic catalysis of anti-Baldwin ring closure in polyether biosynthesis ▶

Kinya Hotta, Xi Chen, Robert S. Paton, Atsushi Minami, Hao Li et al.

The X-ray crystal structure of the epoxide hydrolase Lsd19 in complex with its substrate and product analogue is determined, providing insight into a general mechanism of enzyme-catalysed formation of polyether natural products.

Chromatin-modifying enzymes as modulators of reprogramming ▶

Tamer T. Onder, Nergis Kara, Anne Cherry, Amit U. Sinha, Nan Zhu et al.

Inhibition of DOT1L, the H3K79 histone methyltransferase, increases cell reprogramming and substituted for KLF4 and c-Myc, showing that chromatin-modifying enzymes act not only as facilitators but also as barriers to reprogramming.

Articles and Letters

Insights into hominid evolution from the gorilla genome sequence ▶

Aylwyn Scally, Julien Y. Dutheil, LaDeana W. Hillier, Gregory E. Jordan, Ian Goodhead et al.

The genome of a western lowland gorilla has been sequenced and analysed, completing the genome sequences of all great ape genera, and providing evidence for parallel accelerated evolution in chimpanzee, gorilla and human lineages at a number of loci.

Piezo proteins are pore-forming subunits of mechanically activated channels ▶

Bertrand Coste, Bailong Xiao, Jose S. Santos, Ruhma Syeda, Jörg Grandl et al.

Large transmembrane proteins of the Piezo family assemble as tetramers to form a new class of ion channel that can be activated by mechanical force.

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

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

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

Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China ▶

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

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

Stability criteria for complex ecosystems ▶

Stefano Allesina & Si Tang

Analysis of stability criteria for different types of complex ecological network shows key differences between predator–prey interactions, which are stabilizing, and competitive and mutualistic interactions, which are destabilizing.

The role of Drosophila Piezo in mechanical nociception ▶

Sung Eun Kim, Bertrand Coste, Abhishek Chadha, Boaz Cook & Ardem Patapoutian

The Drosophila Piezo protein is shown to function in sensory neurons to transduce mechanical force in vivo.

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

Douglas J. Cook, Lucy Teves & Michael Tymianski

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

The sirtuin SIRT6 regulates lifespan in male mice ▶

Yariv Kanfi, Shoshana Naiman, Gail Amir, Victoria Peshti, Guy Zinman et al.

The role of sirtuins in longevity is controversial, and little is known about mammalian sirtuins; now, male mice that overexpress SIRT6 are shown to have a longer lifespan than wild-type mice, unlike their female counterparts.

An epigenetic blockade of cognitive functions in the neurodegenerating brain ▶

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

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

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

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

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

News & Views

Social science: Human reproductive assistance ▶

Kim Hill & A. Magdalena Hurtado

50 & 100 years ago ▶

Cell biology: The sensation of stretch ▶

Philip A. Gottlieb & Frederick Sachs

Genomics: Gorilla gorilla gorilla ▶

Richard A Gibbs & Jeffrey Rogers

Ageing: Sorting out the sirtuins ▶

David B. Lombard & Richard A. Miller

Neuroscience: How brains learn to control machines ▶

David T. Blake

Neurodegeneration: Trouble in the cell's powerhouse ▶

Derek P. Narendra & Richard J. Youle

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: Modernization: One step at a time ▶

Zhiguo Xu

Research Highlights

HIV: A race to kill or be killed | Immunology: Fighting viruses antibody-free | Cell Biology: Sperm steer with calcium | Neuroscience: Behind marijuana memory lapse | Virology: Bats can carry flu too | Microbiology: Unintended antimicrobial effects

NEWS & COMMENT

Gold in the text? | Cuts hamper bid to tackle AIDS | Trouble at the text mine | The Japanese tsunami: After shock | Fukushima's legacy of fear | Books in brief | Q&A: Jazz experimentalist | Future pandemics: Step up funding for flu prevention Simon N. Williams | Degraded ecosystems: Keep jellyfish numbers in check Anthony J. Richardson, Daniel Pauly & Mark J. Gibbons | Genetics research: Clinical standards not practical in the lab Klaus Lindpaintner | Sugar: an excess of anything can harm Richard C. Cottrell

More Biological Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

The 2.8 Å crystal structure of the dynein motor domain ▶

Takahide Kon, Takuji Oyama, Rieko Shimo-Kon, Kenji Imamula, Tomohiro Shima et al.

The crystal structure of the entire motor domain of cytoplasmic dynein at the highest resolution so far is presented, giving insights into the communication between the different subdomains of the motor.

An oxygenase that forms and deoxygenates toxic epoxide ▶

Robin Teufel, Thorsten Friedrich & Georg Fuchs

The epoxidase PaaABCE, which converts phenylacetyl-CoA into its ring-1,2-epoxide, is shown to be also able to mediate the NADPH-dependent removal of that epoxide, ensuring that the intracellular concentrations of the toxic epoxide does not exceed a certain ‘acceptable’ concentration.

Phase transitions in the assembly of multivalent signalling proteins ▶

Pilong Li, Sudeep Banjade, Hui-Chun Cheng, Soyeon Kim, Baoyu Chen et al.

The mechanisms by which the ångström-scale molecular properties of cells are translated to micrometre-scale macroscopic properties have not been well understood, but this study shows that when multivalent proteins interact with each other, they undergo a switch-like phase separation, which is concomitant with a transition from small complexes to huge polymeric assemblies, as the concentration increases.

The BAH domain of ORC1 links H4K20me2 to DNA replication licensing and Meier–Gorlin syndrome ▶

Alex J. Kuo, Jikui Song, Peggie Cheung, Satoko Ishibe-Murakami, Sayumi Yamazoe et al.

The ORC1 BAH domain is shown to be a module that recognizes a histone modification associated with replication origins, providing insight into the aetiology of Meier–Gorlin syndrome.

Enzymatic catalysis of anti-Baldwin ring closure in polyether biosynthesis ▶

Kinya Hotta, Xi Chen, Robert S. Paton, Atsushi Minami, Hao Li et al.

The X-ray crystal structure of the epoxide hydrolase Lsd19 in complex with its substrate and product analogue is determined, providing insight into a general mechanism of enzyme-catalysed formation of polyether natural products.

Articles and Letters

Imaging ultrafast molecular dynamics with laser-induced electron diffraction ▶

Cosmin I. Blaga, Junliang Xu, Anthony D. DiChiara, Emily Sistrunk, Kaikai Zhang et al.

Molecular structures are imaged with sub-ångström precision and exposure times of a few femtoseconds.

News & Views

Physical chemistry: Single molecules filmed dancing on a table top ▶

Misha Y. Ivanov

50 & 100 years ago ▶

Materials science: Continuity through dispersity ▶

Richard A Register

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: Modernization: One step at a time ▶

Zhiguo Xu

More Chemical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Phase transitions in the assembly of multivalent signalling proteins ▶

Pilong Li, Sudeep Banjade, Hui-Chun Cheng, Soyeon Kim, Baoyu Chen et al.

The mechanisms by which the ångström-scale molecular properties of cells are translated to micrometre-scale macroscopic properties have not been well understood, but this study shows that when multivalent proteins interact with each other, they undergo a switch-like phase separation, which is concomitant with a transition from small complexes to huge polymeric assemblies, as the concentration increases.

Resonant quantum transitions in trapped antihydrogen atoms ▶

C. Amole, M. D. Ashkezari, M. Baquero-Ruiz, W. Bertsche, P. D. Bowe et al.

These authors demonstrate resonant quantum transitions in a pure antimatter atom—antihydrogen—by using microwave radiation to flip the spin of the positron of an anti-atom in a magnetic trap, thus ejecting the anti-atom.

Articles and Letters

Experimental verification of Landauer’s principle linking information and thermodynamics ▶

Antoine Bérut, Artak Arakelyan, Artyom Petrosyan, Sergio Ciliberto, Raoul Dillenschneider et al.

Experimental demonstration of the Landauer bound in a generic one-bit memory—linking the erasure of information to the production of heat and, thus, entropy—confirms the connection between information theory and thermodynamics.

Field-driven photoemission from nanostructures quenches the quiver motion ▶

G. Herink, D. R. Solli, M. Gulde & C. Ropers

Experiments using ultrafast mid-infrared light pulses on nanostructures access a new regime in photoelectron emission, revealing classical sub-cycle electron dynamics in optical near-fields and breaking a diffraction limit in strong-field physics.

Imaging ultrafast molecular dynamics with laser-induced electron diffraction ▶

Cosmin I. Blaga, Junliang Xu, Anthony D. DiChiara, Emily Sistrunk, Kaikai Zhang et al.

Molecular structures are imaged with sub-ångström precision and exposure times of a few femtoseconds.

Preservation of organic matter in sediments promoted by iron ▶

Karine Lalonde, Alfonso Mucci, Alexandre Ouellet & Yves Gélinas

About one-fifth of organic carbon in sediments is bound to reactive iron phases, which are metastable over geological timescales and may therefore serve as a sink for the long-term storage of organic carbon.

News & Views

Physical chemistry: Single molecules filmed dancing on a table top ▶

Misha Y. Ivanov

Materials science: Continuity through dispersity ▶

Richard A Register

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: The Amazon basin in transition ▶

Eric A. Davidson, Alessandro C. de Araújo, Paulo Artaxo, Jennifer K. Balch, I. Foster Brown et al.

Research Highlights

Materials Science: Competition looms for graphene

NEWS & COMMENT

Gold in the text? | No theory is too special to question | A solid case for Majorana fermions | Laser fusion nears crucial milestone | Tsunami forecasting: The next wave | Photography: Force of nature | Q&A: Jazz experimentalist

More Physical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Articles and Letters

Preservation of organic matter in sediments promoted by iron ▶

Karine Lalonde, Alfonso Mucci, Alexandre Ouellet & Yves Gélinas

About one-fifth of organic carbon in sediments is bound to reactive iron phases, which are metastable over geological timescales and may therefore serve as a sink for the long-term storage of organic carbon.

News & Views

Geochemistry: A rusty carbon sink ▶

Tim I. Eglinton

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: The Amazon basin in transition ▶

Eric A. Davidson, Alessandro C. de Araújo, Paulo Artaxo, Jennifer K. Balch, I. Foster Brown et al.

Research Highlights

Oceanography: Tsunamis collide and grow taller | Environmental Science: Oil-sands pollution quantified

NEWS & COMMENT

Lessons of a triple disaster | The Japanese tsunami: After shock | Fukushima's legacy of fear | Rebuilding Japan: After the deluge | Tsunami forecasting: The next wave | Earthquake hazards: Putting seismic research to most effective use | Seismology: Why giant earthquakes keep catching us out | Energy: Plumbing the depths | Degraded ecosystems: Keep jellyfish numbers in check Anthony J. Richardson, Daniel Pauly & Mark J. Gibbons

More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶

Retirement: Sticking around ▶

Academics who delay retirement could create roadblocks for early-career researchers.

The postdoc dilemma ▶

Balancing a career and the obligations of a full-time job can be deceptively difficult, says Gaston Small.

Careers related news & comment

Lessons of a triple disaster | Energy: Plumbing the depths | Photography: Force of nature | Future pandemics: Step up funding for flu prevention Simon N. Williams | Sugar: an excess of anything can harm Richard C. Cottrell

Research Assistant in Theoretical Biological Physics

Imperial College London 

PhD position at The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine

Umeå University (UmU) 

Bacteriophage: Host Interaction

University of Alberta, Dept. of Biological Sciences 

Postdoctoral researcher

Texas A&M University - Department of Biochemistry/Biophysics 

International Congress on Biophotonics - ICOB2012

19.-21.06.12 Jena, Germany