nature

THIS WEEK

Editorials

A vote for science ▶

In support for science and environmental issues, Barack Obama and the Democrats have a clear advantage over Mitt Romney and the Republican Party.

Banish cronyism ▶

A Texas cancer-research fund needs big fixes to restore badly eroded trust.

Shock and law ▶

The Italian system’s contempt for its scientists is made plain by the guilty verdict in L’Aquila.

World View

Throw off the cloak of invisibility ▶

Improving Wikipedia entries for notable women scientists should be only the start for a higher profile for women in science, says Athene Donald.

Seven Days

Seven days: 19–25 October 2012 ▶

The week in science: Manslaughter verdict rocks seismology; European rethink on biofuels; and battery firm A123 declares bankruptcy.

NEWS IN FOCUS

High stakes for US science ▶

As the election nears, the opinions of the presidential candidates diverge over research.

Viral research faces clampdown ▶

US biosecurity concerns could harm collaboration.

Website pitches solutions in search of problems ▶

Marblar aims to help scientists turn discoveries into innovative applications.

Ocean-fertilization project off Canada sparks furore ▶

Bid to boost salmon stocks relied on hotly debated science and dubious carbon credits.

Texas cancer fund seeks fresh start ▶

Critics question whether institute has resolved conflicts between commercial and scientific goals.

Features

Toxicology: The learning curve ▶

Researchers say that some chemicals have unexpected and potent effects at very low doses — but regulators aren't convinced.

Biology and ideology: The anatomy of politics ▶

From genes to hormone levels, biology may help to shape political behaviour.

COMMENT

Futures market: Wall Street's thirst for water ▶

Moves towards a global water commodities market must be stopped. It will push the price of food far beyond the peaks of the past five years, warns Frederick Kaufman.

Physics: Why symmetry matters ▶

Mario Livio celebrates the guiding light for modern physics.

Autumn Books

Environmental sciences: Divided we save ▶

An expanded model for heading off planetary tipping points offers much to both optimists and the apocalyptically inclined, finds Peter Kareiva.

Mathematics: A fractal life ▶

Mark Buchanan enjoys the quirky memoir of a mathematical rebel — the late Benoît Mandelbrot.

New in paperback ▶

Medical history: Stemming the red tide ▶

Lab luminaries jostle with consumptive cultural icons in a vivid history of tuberculosis, finds Stefan H. E. Kaufmann.

Planetary science: The search for Earth's twin ▶

Sara Seager enjoys a frank and vivid account of planet hunting.

Pseudoscience: A fringe too far ▶

David Morrison finds contemporary echoes in a history of 'science wars', from Velikovsky to Lysenko and beyond.

Neuroscience: Encounters with the nonexistent ▶

Dominic ffytche contemplates Oliver Sacks' journey through the past and future science of hallucinations.

Food security: Growing trouble ▶

Calestous Juma assesses a call for policy to feed the world at a time of squeezed production and soaring prices.

Biotechnology: Random harvest ▶

Ian Wilmut assesses a critique of how genomics, bioethics and neuroscience are meeting their potential.

Correspondence

Canadian science: Reallocate funds to boost performance Andrew J. Tanentzap | Psychology: Social insight rings true 125 years on Lee Altenberg | Awards: Beit fellowships forge a Nobel link Andrew McMichael & Cyril Chantler | Lunar science: Timely reminder to return to the Moon David A. Kring, Jack O. Burns & D. Ben J. Bussey | LMB Cambridge: Bureaucracy bypass let research flourish Min-Liang Wong

Obituary

Louise Johnson (1940–2012) ▶

Biophysicist who helped to establish the field of structural biology.

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Microbiology: Bacterial power cords ▶

Gemma Reguera

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

Susan T. Lovett

Ecology: Bumblebees and pesticides ▶

Juliet L. Osborne

Pancreatic cancer genomes reveal aberrations in axon guidance pathway genes ▶

Andrew V. Biankin, Nicola Waddell, Karin S. Kassahn, Marie-Claude Gingras, Lakshmi B. Muthuswamy et al.

Exome sequencing and copy number analysis are used to define genomic aberrations in early sporadic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; among the findings are mutations in genes involved in chromatin modification and DNA damage repair, and frequent and diverse somatic aberrations in genes known as embryonic regulators of axon guidance.

Filamentous bacteria transport electrons over centimetre distances ▶

Christian Pfeffer, Steffen Larsen, Jie Song, Mingdong Dong, Flemming Besenbacher et al.

Oxygen reduction occurring in the surface layer of marine sediments can be coupled to sulphide oxidation in deeper anoxic layers; it is now shown that the electron transfer is mediated by filamentous bacteria acting like living electrical cables.

Towards germline gene therapy of inherited mitochondrial diseases ▶

Masahito Tachibana, Paula Amato, Michelle Sparman, Joy Woodward, Dario Melguizo Sanchis et al.

Oxygen reduction occurring in the surface layer of marine sediments can be coupled to sulphide oxidation in deeper anoxic layers; it is now shown that the electron transfer is mediated by filamentous bacteria acting like living electrical cables.

The genomic landscape of species divergence in Ficedula flycatchers  OPEN ▶

Hans Ellegren, Linnéa Smeds, Reto Burri, Pall I. Olason, Niclas Backström et al.

The results of sequencing the collared flycatcher genome, and re-sequencing population samples from this species and its sister species, the pied flycatcher, reveal the existence of areas of high sequence divergence compared to background levels, and suggest that complex repeat structures may drive species divergence and that sex chromosomes and autosomes are at different stages of speciation.

Direct imaging of RecA nucleation and growth on single molecules of SSB-coated ssDNA ▶

Jason C. Bell, Jody L. Plank, Christopher C. Dombrowski & Stephen C. Kowalczykowski

Single-molecule analysis of RecA filament assembly on its in vivo substrate, SSB-coated single-stranded DNA, reveals that a dimer of RecA is required for nucleation, and is followed by bidirectional growth of the filament through monomer addition; the recombination mediator RecOR accelerates nucleation and growth, and the addition of RecF further stimulates nucleation.

Resurrection of endogenous retroviruses in antibody-deficient mice ▶

George R. Young, Urszula Eksmond, Rosalba Salcedo, Lena Alexopoulou, Jonathan P. Stoye et al.

Novel pathogenic infectious retroviruses, generated by recombination between replication-defective endogenous retroviruses in the absence of a functional antibody response, are identified; these recombinant retroviruses establish infection of mouse colonies and ultimately cause cancer.

HIV therapy by a combination of broadly neutralizing antibodies in humanized mice ▶

Florian Klein, Ariel Halper-Stromberg, Joshua A. Horwitz, Henning Gruell, Johannes F. Scheid et al.

Passive immunotherapy with a combination of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies is shown to be effective in suppressing HIV replication in a humanized mouse model.

The TEL patch of telomere protein TPP1 mediates telomerase recruitment and processivity ▶

Jayakrishnan Nandakumar, Caitlin F. Bell, Ina Weidenfeld, Arthur J. Zaug, Leslie A. Leinwand et al.

Using separation-of-function mutations of TPP1 that inhibit telomerase binding while maintaining telomere capping, a region on the surface of TPP1, the TEL patch, is identified and found to be required for both binding telomerase and enhancing its processivity.

Combined pesticide exposure severely affects individual- and colony-level traits in bees ▶

Richard J. Gill, Oscar Ramos-Rodriguez & Nigel E. Raine

Chronic exposure of bumblebees to two pesticides (a neonicotinoid and a pyrethroid) independently and in combination, at concentrations approximating field-level exposure, impairs natural foraging behaviour and increases worker mortality, with knock-on effects for brood development and colony success.

A bimodular mechanism of calcium control in eukaryotes ▶

Henning Tidow, Lisbeth R. Poulsen, Antonina Andreeva, Michael Knudsen, Kim L. Hein et al.

Detailed characterization of the regulatory domain of a plasma-membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase — a calcium pump — in complex with calmodulin results in a two-step structural model that explains how calmodulin-mediated regulation of pump activation affords highly responsive control over the intracellular calcium concentration in eukaryotes.

Structural insight into the type-II mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenases ▶

Yue Feng, Wenfei Li, Jian Li, Jiawei Wang, Jingpeng Ge et al.

Analysis of the respective crystal structures of the yeast single-component type-II NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1 in its substrate-free form and when bound to NADH, ubiquinone and NADH–ubiquinone shows that Ndi1 homodimerization through its carboxy-terminal domain is critical for its catalytic activity and membrane targeting.

Structure and mechanism of a bacterial sodium-dependent dicarboxylate transporter ▶

Romina Mancusso, G. Glenn Gregorio, Qun Liu & Da-Neng Wang

The cytosolic concentration of citrate partially depends on its direct import across the plasma membrane by the Na⁺-dependent citrate transporter (NaCT); here the X-ray crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of NaCT is reported, which, along with transport-activity studies suggests how specific conformational changes facilitate substrate translocation across the cellular membrane.

BTB-ZF factors recruit the E3 ligase cullin 3 to regulate lymphoid effector programs ▶

Rebecca Mathew, Michael P. Seiler, Seth T. Scanlon, Ai-ping Mao, Michael G. Constantinides et al.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase cullin 3 is shown to bind BTB-zinc finger transcription factors to direct the ubiquitination of nuclear chromatin-associated factors to control transcription and cell-fate decisions in B- and T-cell populations.

Structure of the chemokine receptor CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers ▶

Sang Ho Park, Bibhuti B. Das, Fabio Casagrande, Ye Tian, Henry J. Nothnagel et al.

NMR spectroscopy is used to determine the three-dimensional structure of the full-length human chemokine receptor CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers under physiological conditions.

Articles and Letters

A map of rice genome variation reveals the origin of cultivated rice  OPEN ▶

Xuehui Huang, Nori Kurata, Xinghua Wei, Zi-Xuan Wang, Ahong Wang et al.

Whole-genome sequences of wild rice and cultivated rice varieties are used to produce a map of rice genome variation, and show that rice was probably first domesticated in southern China.

Compensatory dendritic cell development mediated by BATF–IRF interactions ▶

Roxane Tussiwand, Wan-Ling Lee, Theresa L. Murphy, Mona Mashayekhi, Wumesh KC et al.

The roles of BATF transcription factors in dendritic cell differentiation are studied, providing evidence for molecular compensation by related family members; compensation is based on the interaction of the BATF leucine zipper domains with IRF factors to mediate cooperative gene activation.

Structure of the agonist-bound neurotensin receptor ▶

Jim F. White, Nicholas Noinaj, Yoko Shibata, James Love, Brian Kloss et al.

The X-ray crystal structure of a rat neurotensin receptor in complex with the C-terminal portion of neurotensin is presented; this is the first structure of a member of the β group of class A G-protein-coupled receptors.

Epistasis as the primary factor in molecular evolution ▶

Michael S. Breen, Carsten Kemena, Peter K. Vlasov, Cedric Notredame & Fyodor A. Kondrashov

A comparison of more than 1,000 orthologues of diverse proteins shows that the rate of amino-acid substitution in recent evolution is an order of magnitude lower than that expected in the absence of epistasis, indicating that epistasis is pervasive throughout protein evolution.

Phosphorylation of NLRC4 is critical for inflammasome activation ▶

Yan Qu, Shahram Misaghi, Anita Izrael-Tomasevic, Kim Newton, Laurie L. Gilmour et al.

Phosphorylation of the NOD-like receptor NLRC4 is essential for activation of the NLRC4 inflammasome complex in response to bacterial stimuli.

BATF–JUN is critical for IRF4-mediated transcription in T cells ▶

Peng Li, Rosanne Spolski, Wei Liao, Lu Wang, Theresa L. Murphy et al.

The pleiotropic transcription factor IRF4 is shown to regulate CD4⁺ T-cell differentiation and T_H17 function through cooperative binding interactions with BATF and JUN family proteins via AP1–IRF4 composite elements (AICEs).

Mitochondrial defect drives non-autonomous tumour progression through Hippo signalling in Drosophila ▶

Shizue Ohsawa, Yoshitaka Sato, Masato Enomoto, Mai Nakamura, Aya Betsumiya et al.

In a Drosophila imaginal epithelial disc system, mutations that lead to mitochondrial dysfunction can also promote tumorigenic growth of neighbouring cells expressing an activated Ras oncogene.

Black mamba venom peptides target acid-sensing ion channels to abolish pain ▶

Sylvie Diochot, Anne Baron, Miguel Salinas, Dominique Douguet, Sabine Scarzello et al.

A new class of peptides, mambalgins, is isolated from the African snake the black mamba, which can abolish pain through inhibition of particular subtypes of acid-sensing ion channels expressed either in central or peripheral neurons.

Structure-based prediction of protein–protein interactions on a genome-wide scale ▶

Qiangfeng Cliff Zhang, Donald Petrey, Lei Deng, Li Qiang, Yu Shi et al.

Protein–protein interactions, essential for understanding how a cell functions, are predicted using a new method that combines protein structure with other computationally and experimentally derived clues.

Clonal allelic predetermination of immunoglobulin-κ rearrangement ▶

Marganit Farago, Chaggai Rosenbluh, Maya Tevlin, Shira Fraenkel, Sharon Schlesinger et al.

Immunoglobulin genes are expressed from either the maternal or paternal chromosome; it is now shown that in early haematopoietic stem cells, an individual cell can choose either of the two alleles, but as they develop they become committed to only one.

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 angstroms 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.

News & Views

Cancer: Destiny from density ▶

Victoria L. Seewaldt

Structural biology: Snapshot of an activated peptide receptor ▶

Felix Hausch & Florian Holsboer

Genetics: The inner life of proteins ▶

Günter P. Wagner

Microbiology: Bacterial power cords ▶

Gemma Reguera

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

Susan T. Lovett

Ecology: Bumblebees and pesticides ▶

Juliet L. Osborne

Corrigenda

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.

Corrigendum: RNA sequencing of pancreatic circulating tumour cells implicates WNT signalling in metastasis ▶

Min Yu, David T. Ting, Shannon L. Stott, Ben S. Wittner, Fatih Ozsolak et al.

Research Highlights

Archaeology: How to move a 4-tonne statue | Biochemistry: EPO made from scratch | Ecology: Protecting prey with their odours | Biomaterials: Super-reflective fish skin | Cancer: Targeting a vicious cycle | Archaeology: A more accurate carbon clock

NEWS & COMMENT

New in paperback | Medical history: Stemming the red tide | Neuroscience: Encounters with the nonexistent | Biotechnology: Random harvest | Banish cronyism | Viral research faces clampdown | Website pitches solutions in search of problems | Ocean-fertilization project off Canada sparks furore | Texas cancer fund seeks fresh start | Toxicology: The learning curve | Biology and ideology: The anatomy of politics | Psychology: Social insight rings true 125 years on Lee Altenberg | Louise Johnson (1940–2012)

More Biological Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

Susan T. Lovett

Direct imaging of RecA nucleation and growth on single molecules of SSB-coated ssDNA ▶

Jason C. Bell, Jody L. Plank, Christopher C. Dombrowski & Stephen C. Kowalczykowski

Single-molecule analysis of RecA filament assembly on its in vivo substrate, SSB-coated single-stranded DNA, reveals that a dimer of RecA is required for nucleation, and is followed by bidirectional growth of the filament through monomer addition; the recombination mediator RecOR accelerates nucleation and growth, and the addition of RecF further stimulates nucleation.

The TEL patch of telomere protein TPP1 mediates telomerase recruitment and processivity ▶

Jayakrishnan Nandakumar, Caitlin F. Bell, Ina Weidenfeld, Arthur J. Zaug, Leslie A. Leinwand et al.

Using separation-of-function mutations of TPP1 that inhibit telomerase binding while maintaining telomere capping, a region on the surface of TPP1, the TEL patch, is identified and found to be required for both binding telomerase and enhancing its processivity.

A bimodular mechanism of calcium control in eukaryotes ▶

Henning Tidow, Lisbeth R. Poulsen, Antonina Andreeva, Michael Knudsen, Kim L. Hein et al.

Detailed characterization of the regulatory domain of a plasma-membrane Ca²⁺-ATPase — a calcium pump — in complex with calmodulin results in a two-step structural model that explains how calmodulin-mediated regulation of pump activation affords highly responsive control over the intracellular calcium concentration in eukaryotes.

Structural insight into the type-II mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenases ▶

Yue Feng, Wenfei Li, Jian Li, Jiawei Wang, Jingpeng Ge et al.

Analysis of the respective crystal structures of the yeast single-component type-II NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1 in its substrate-free form and when bound to NADH, ubiquinone and NADH–ubiquinone shows that Ndi1 homodimerization through its carboxy-terminal domain is critical for its catalytic activity and membrane targeting.

Structure and mechanism of a bacterial sodium-dependent dicarboxylate transporter ▶

Romina Mancusso, G. Glenn Gregorio, Qun Liu & Da-Neng Wang

The cytosolic concentration of citrate partially depends on its direct import across the plasma membrane by the Na⁺-dependent citrate transporter (NaCT); here the X-ray crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of NaCT is reported, which, along with transport-activity studies suggests how specific conformational changes facilitate substrate translocation across the cellular membrane.

Structure of the chemokine receptor CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers ▶

Sang Ho Park, Bibhuti B. Das, Fabio Casagrande, Ye Tian, Henry J. Nothnagel et al.

NMR spectroscopy is used to determine the three-dimensional structure of the full-length human chemokine receptor CXCR1 in phospholipid bilayers under physiological conditions.

Articles and Letters

Structure of the agonist-bound neurotensin receptor ▶

Jim F. White, Nicholas Noinaj, Yoko Shibata, James Love, Brian Kloss et al.

The X-ray crystal structure of a rat neurotensin receptor in complex with the C-terminal portion of neurotensin is presented; this is the first structure of a member of the β group of class A G-protein-coupled receptors.

Forming all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centres in acyclic systems from alkynes ▶

Yury Minko, Morgane Pasco, Lukas Lercher, Mark Botoshansky & Ilan Marek

The synthesis of an all-carbon quaternary stereocentre in an acyclic system is reported; the chemical transformation involves the formation of two new stereogenic centres—including the challenging all-carbon quaternary one in an aldol adduct—via a combined carbometalation–oxidation reaction, giving a stereodefined trisubstituted enolate.

The origin of the terrestrial noble-gas signature ▶

Svyatoslav S. Shcheka & Hans Keppler

The solubility of argon in lower mantle minerals is shown to be much higher than for xenon, so that the depletion of xenon relative to argon in Earth’s atmosphere can be explained by mantle degassing.

Phosphorylation of NLRC4 is critical for inflammasome activation ▶

Yan Qu, Shahram Misaghi, Anita Izrael-Tomasevic, Kim Newton, Laurie L. Gilmour et al.

Phosphorylation of the NOD-like receptor NLRC4 is essential for activation of the NLRC4 inflammasome complex in response to bacterial stimuli.

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 angstroms 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.

News & Views

Structural biology: Snapshot of an activated peptide receptor ▶

Felix Hausch & Florian Holsboer

Biochemistry: A glimpse of molecular competition ▶

Susan T. Lovett

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: High-performance bulk thermoelectrics with all-scale hierarchical architectures ▶

Kanishka Biswas, Jiaqing He, Ivan D. Blum, Chun-IWu, Timothy P. Hogan et al.

Research Highlights

Biochemistry: EPO made from scratch

More Chemical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Lower satellite-gravimetry estimates of Antarctic sea-level contribution ▶

Matt A. King, Rory J. Bingham, Phil Moore, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Michael J. Bentley et al.

A new model of glacial isostatic adjustment used in conjunction with GRACE satellite data suggests that ice loss from Antarctica is contributing 0.19 millimetres per year to global mean sea level, which is substantially less than previous GRACE-based estimates.

Articles and Letters

Near-infrared background anisotropies from diffuse intrahalo light of galaxies ▶

Asantha Cooray, Joseph Smidt, Francesco De Bernardis, Yan Gong, Daniel Stern et al.

Measurements of the anisotropy power spectrum of the cosmic near-infrared background radiation show the clustering amplitude to be larger than existing model predictions involving distant primordial galaxies or nearby faint galaxies: the fluctuations are proposed to originate from intrahalo stars of all galaxies with dark-matter haloes of 10⁹ to 10¹² solar masses at redshifts of about 1 to 4.

Quasi-periodic events in crystal plasticity and the self-organized avalanche oscillator ▶

Stefanos Papanikolaou, Dennis M. Dimiduk, Woosong Choi, James P. Sethna, Michael D. Uchic et al.

A crystalline material is investigated that responds to a slowly increasing external stress by exhibiting impulsive ‘avalanche’ behaviour as well as smooth stress release that is approximately as slow as the external stress rate; unusual oscillatory behaviour in the avalanche time series is reported.

Recent changes to the Gulf Stream causing widespread gas hydrate destabilization ▶

Benjamin J. Phrampus & Matthew J. Hornbach

Seismic data and modelling are used to reveal clathrate destabilization along the eastern margin of the United States; the destabilization is probably linked to warming, or a slight shift, in the Gulf Stream.

Epistasis as the primary factor in molecular evolution ▶

Michael S. Breen, Carsten Kemena, Peter K. Vlasov, Cedric Notredame & Fyodor A. Kondrashov

A comparison of more than 1,000 orthologues of diverse proteins shows that the rate of amino-acid substitution in recent evolution is an order of magnitude lower than that expected in the absence of epistasis, indicating that epistasis is pervasive throughout protein evolution.

News & Views

Cosmology: Infrared light from wandering stars ▶

Andrea Ferrara

50 & 100 years ago ▶

Corrigendum

Corrigendum: High-performance bulk thermoelectrics with all-scale hierarchical architectures ▶

Kanishka Biswas, Jiaqing He, Ivan D. Blum, Chun-IWu, Timothy P. Hogan et al.

Research Highlights

Photonics: White LEDs without glare

NEWS & COMMENT

New in paperback | Planetary science: The search for Earth's twin | Website pitches solutions in search of problems | Physics: Why symmetry matters

More Physical Sciences ▶

RESEARCH

Latest Online

Ecology: Bumblebees and pesticides ▶

Juliet L. Osborne

Fluvial response to abrupt global warming at the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary ▶

Brady Z. Foreman, Paul L. Heller & Mark T. Clementz

The fluvial response in western Colorado to the Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum involves a large increase in sediment flux that lasted much longer than the vegetation, monsoon and carbon dioxide changes of the thermal maximum.

Combined pesticide exposure severely affects individual- and colony-level traits in bees ▶

Richard J. Gill, Oscar Ramos-Rodriguez & Nigel E. Raine

Chronic exposure of bumblebees to two pesticides (a neonicotinoid and a pyrethroid) independently and in combination, at concentrations approximating field-level exposure, impairs natural foraging behaviour and increases worker mortality, with knock-on effects for brood development and colony success.

Lower satellite-gravimetry estimates of Antarctic sea-level contribution ▶

Matt A. King, Rory J. Bingham, Phil Moore, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Michael J. Bentley et al.

A new model of glacial isostatic adjustment used in conjunction with GRACE satellite data suggests that ice loss from Antarctica is contributing 0.19 millimetres per year to global mean sea level, which is substantially less than previous GRACE-based estimates.

Articles and Letters

Recent changes to the Gulf Stream causing widespread gas hydrate destabilization ▶

Benjamin J. Phrampus & Matthew J. Hornbach

Seismic data and modelling are used to reveal clathrate destabilization along the eastern margin of the United States; the destabilization is probably linked to warming, or a slight shift, in the Gulf Stream.

The origin of the terrestrial noble-gas signature ▶

Svyatoslav S. Shcheka & Hans Keppler

The solubility of argon in lower mantle minerals is shown to be much higher than for xenon, so that the depletion of xenon relative to argon in Earth’s atmosphere can be explained by mantle degassing.

News & Views

Earth science: Signs of instability ▶

Juergen Mienert

50 & 100 years ago ▶

Ecology: Bumblebees and pesticides ▶

Juliet L. Osborne

Research Highlights

Planetary science: Moon spun off from Earth | Geoscience: Sudden rupture in deadly earthquake

NEWS & COMMENT

Environmental sciences: Divided we save | Shock and law | Ocean-fertilization project off Canada sparks furore | Toxicology: The learning curve | Lunar science: Timely reminder to return to the Moon David A. Kring, Jack O. Burns & D. Ben J. Bussey

More Earth & Environmental Sciences ▶

Work experience: Stepping stones ▶

Internships can help scientist job seekers to get a head start on the competition.

Scientists wanted ▶

Emerging regions have robust collaborations, but need more researchers.

Misconduct policy ▶

Research council lays out tactics for addressing breaches of research integrity.

Clarification ▶

Careers related news & comment

Banish cronyism | Throw off the cloak of invisibility | Website pitches solutions in search of problems | Texas cancer fund seeks fresh start | Canadian science: Reallocate funds to boost performance Andrew J. Tanentzap | Awards: Beit fellowships forge a Nobel link Andrew McMichael & Cyril Chantler | LMB Cambridge: Bureaucracy bypass let research flourish Min-Liang Wong

Assistant Professor

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Psychology 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Albert Einstein College of Medicine 

Senior Lecturer / Reader in Modelling Subsurface Fluid Processes – joint with the British Geological Survey (BGS)

University of Lancaster 

Postdoc in Computational Biology

Harvard Medical School 

Diabetes, Cardiovascular Renal Complications

28.-29.11.12 London, UK