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Volume 490 Number 7420 |
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nature |
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The science that matters. Every week. | |
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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 Graphene: A patterned template for molecular packing | Cell biology: Picking out partners | Electronics: Visible progress | Catalysis: Putting cyanide to work | Nanoparticles: Making gold economical for sensing | Plasmonics: Growth lamps for nanoparticles. The new print edition of A*STAR Research is now available! |
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Jump to the content that matters to you |
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Special: The new map of science | |
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Today more nations – from China and India to Singapore, Brazil and South Korea – are taking their place at the high table of research alongside the traditional science superpowers. At the same time national boundaries are being transcended through collaboration networks and 'brain circulation'. In this special issue Nature examines how the movement of people and ideas will change how science is done, how it is funded and the questions that it addresses.
▼ more |
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Zinc supports giant impact theory of Moon formation
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High-precision measurements of zinc isotope content in lunar basalt samples reveal that lunar magmatic rocks are enriched in the heavy isotopes of zinc and have lower zinc concentrations than terrestrial or Martian samples. This points to an episode of zinc evapouration on a massive scale, which favours the theory that the Earth–Moon system is the result of a giant impact between the proto-Earth and a passing Mars-sized object. |
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Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss
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Salt marshes are important features of the coastal ecosystem as they provide storm protection for coastal communities and nutrient removal that is thought to protect costal bays. But they are in decline, and nine years of data from a whole ecosystem nutrient enrichment experiment shows why. Nutrient loading is increases the productivity of plants but reducing the density of bank-stabilizing roots. This, together with increased breakdown of organic matter, is reducimg salt marsh stability, causing it to slip into the sea. |
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Severe stress switches CRF action in the nucleus accumbens from appetitive to aversive
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Severe stress can exacerbate major depression, characterized by a shift from engagement with the environment to withdrawal. This study in mice shows that corticotrophin releasing factor, which is released in response to stress, normally increases dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens — a region in the brain thought to mediate punishment and reward. But when the animals are exposed to severe stress, CRF regulation of dopamine is lost and the animals become averse to CRF, having previously found it rewarding. The authors suggest that severe stress switches the emotional response to stressful stimuli, and that this may be central to stress-induced depressive disorders. |
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In this week's podcast: a new planet orbiting the star next door, how biology sprung from chemistry on the early Earth, and the evolution of teeth and jaws. Plus, scientists' movements around the globe and the best of science outside Nature. |
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Global reach ▶ |
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The increasing internationalization of science offers many benefits, but also has limitations. |
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Life after death ▶ |
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Restricting access to US death records could have serious consequences for long-term health studies. Government agencies should rethink their decision. |
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Badger away ▶ |
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Charges that the UK badger-shooting policy ignores evidence are wide of the mark. |
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Seven days: 12–18 October 2012 ▶ |
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The week in science: Skydiver breaks speed of sound; researcher ID system launches; and the online open-access journal eLife publishes its first papers. |
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Zoology: The animal inside ▶ |
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Josie Glausiusz contemplates a documentary on the human relationship with animals confined and stuffed. |
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EMBO Courses & Workshops 2013 More than 80 conferences, workshops, symposia, practical courses & lecture courses announced. Subscribe to our e-news to receive reminders of registration & abstract submission deadlines. events.embo.org |
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IL-22BP is regulated by the inflammasome and modulates tumorigenesis in the intestine ▶ |
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Samuel Huber, Nicola Gagliani, Lauren A. Zenewicz, Francis J. Huber, Lidia Bosurgi et al. |
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IL-22 is one of the factors that, although important for wound healing, also promote tumorigenesis; the regulation of IL-22BP, the IL-22 binding protein, via the NLRP3 and NLRP6 inflammasomes provides an unanticipated mechanism, controlling IL-22 and thereby the development of colon cancer. |
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Development of teeth and jaws in the earliest jawed vertebrates ▶ |
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Martin Rücklin, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Zerina Johanson, Kate Trinajstic, Federica Marone et al. |
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Synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy of a developmental series of Compagopiscis croucheri (Arthrodira) indicate that placoderms had true teeth, but that tooth and jaw development was not developmentally or structurally integrated in placoderms. |
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Input-specific control of reward and aversion in the ventral tegmental area ▶ |
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Stephan Lammel, Byung Kook Lim, Chen Ran, Kee Wui Huang, Michael J. Betley et al. |
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Through the use of a combination of state-of-the-art techniques, different populations of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in the mouse are shown to form separate circuits with distinct connectivity: neurons receiving input from the laterodorsal tegmentum and lateral habenula are found to mediate reward and aversion, respectively. |
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Structure and function of Zucchini endoribonuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶ |
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Hiroshi Nishimasu, Hirotsugu Ishizu, Kuniaki Saito, Satoshi Fukuhara, Miharu K. Kamatani et al. |
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Zucchini has been identified as an endoribonuclease responsible for the maturation of small RNA molecules that protect the genome from the damaging effects of unrestrained expression of mobile elements. |
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Epistasis as the primary factor in molecular evolution ▶ |
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Michael S. Breen, Carsten Kemena, Peter K. Vlasov, Cedric Notredame & Fyodor A. Kondrashov |
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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. |
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Serine is a natural ligand and allosteric activator of pyruvate kinase M2 ▶ |
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Barbara Chaneton, Petra Hillmann, Liang Zheng, Agnès C. L. Martin, Oliver D. K. Maddocks et al. |
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The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) is a key glycolytic enzyme that is overexpressed in cancer cells; here, serine is shown to bind to and directly activate PKM2, and the resulting reduction in enzyme activity under serine-deprivation conditions is shown to lead to the diversion of glucose-derived carbon to promote serine biosynthesis required for cell proliferation. |
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B12 cofactors directly stabilize an mRNA regulatory switch ▶ |
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James E. Johnson Jr, Francis E. Reyes, Jacob T. Polaski & Robert T. Batey |
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The crystal structures of two different cobalamin (vitamin B12)-binding riboswitches are determined; the structures reveal how cobalamin facilitates interdomain interactions to regulate gene expression. |
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The aged niche disrupts muscle stem cell quiescence ▶ |
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Joe V. Chakkalakal, Kieran M. Jones, M. Albert Basson & Andrew S. Brack |
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The expression of fibroblast growth factor in aged muscle fibre, the muscle stem cell niche, is shown to cause satellite cells to lose the capacity for self-renewal, and is thus an age-dependent change that directly influences stem cell quiescence and function. |
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Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of glucose transporters GLUT1–4 ▶ |
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Linfeng Sun, Xin Zeng, Chuangye Yan, Xiuyun Sun, Xinqi Gong et al. |
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A study of X-ray crystal structures of the Escherichia coli xylose transporter XylE, which is a bacterial homologue of the human glucose transporters GLUT1–4, complexed with glucose and its analogues yields a framework for understanding the molecular mechanism by which membrane proteins transport glucose and other sugars across cell membranes. |
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Structure of AMP-PNP-bound vitamin B12 transporter BtuCD–F ▶ |
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Vladimir M. Korkhov, Samantha A. Mireku & Kaspar P. Locher |
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The X-ray crystal structure of the transporter-binding protein complex BtuCD–F, involved in the uptake of vitamin B12 across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli, is determined in an ATP analogue-bound state; the membrane-spanning BtuC subunits adopt a previously unseen conformation in which the central translocation pathway is sealed by an additional gate, and membrane transport is seen to occur through an unexpected peristaltic transport mechanism, distinct from what has been observed for other ABC transporters. |
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Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss ▶ |
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Linda A. Deegan, David Samuel Johnson, R. Scott Warren, Bruce J. Peterson, John W. Fleeger et al. |
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A nine-year whole-ecosystem experiment demonstrates that nutrient enrichment, a global problem in coastal ecosystems, can be a driver of salt-marsh loss. |
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Nonlinear dendritic processing determines angular tuning of barrel cortex neurons in vivo ▶ |
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Maria Lavzin, Sophia Rapoport, Alon Polsky, Liora Garion & Jackie Schiller |
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In vivo whole-cell recordings combined with an intracellular N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) blocker and membrane hyperpolarization are used to examine the contribution of dendritic NMDAR-dependent regenerative responses to the angular tuning of layer 4 neurons; the results show that active dendritic processing sharpens the sensory responses of cortical neurons in vivo. |
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Severe stress switches CRF action in the nucleus accumbens from appetitive to aversive ▶ |
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Julia C. Lemos, Matthew J. Wanat, Jeffrey S. Smith, Beverly A. S. Reyes, Nick G. Hollon et al. |
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The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) acts in the nucleus accumbens of mice to increase dopamine release through coactivation of CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) and CRFR2, but exposure to severe stress results in loss of this regulation and a switch in the reaction to CRF from appetitive to aversive. |
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Androgenetic haploid embryonic stem cells produce live transgenic mice ▶ |
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Wei Li, Ling Shuai, Haifeng Wan, Mingzhu Dong, Meng Wang et al. |
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Mouse androgenetic haploid embryonic stem cell lines can be established by transferring sperm into an enucleated oocyte; the cells maintain haploidy and stable growth over 30 passages, express pluripotent markers, are able to differentiate into all three germ layers, contribute to germlines of chimaeras when injected into blastocysts and can produce fertile progeny that carry genetic modifications to the next generation. |
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Melanomas resist T-cell therapy through inflammation-induced reversible dedifferentiation ▶ |
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Jennifer Landsberg, Judith Kohlmeyer, Marcel Renn, Tobias Bald, Meri Rogava et al. |
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A genetically engineered mouse model is used to determine the mechanism of acquired resistance to adoptive therapy with cytotoxic T cells specific for a melanocytic differentiation antigen; tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α is identified as a crucial factor that causes reversible dedifferentiation of mouse and human melanoma cells. |
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Increased HIV-1 vaccine efficacy against viruses with genetic signatures in Env V2 ▶ |
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Morgane Rolland, Paul T. Edlefsen, Brendan B. Larsen, Sodsai Tovanabutra, Eric Sanders-Buell et al. |
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Genetic analysis of breakthrough infections in people vaccinated against HIV-1 show that vaccine efficacy increased by up to 80% against viruses carrying two mutations in Env V2, but also raises the possibility of population-level adaptation to the vaccine. |
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Scientific Reports publishes 457 open access papers in its first year
Publishing technically sound research articles, Scientific Reports is Nature Publishing Group’s fastest growing journal. Given the speed and visibility offered, no wonder 93% of our authors said that they are “likely” or “very likely” to submit again.
Keep your research moving. Submit to Scientific Reports |
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Structure and function of Zucchini endoribonuclease in piRNA biogenesis ▶ |
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Hiroshi Nishimasu, Hirotsugu Ishizu, Kuniaki Saito, Satoshi Fukuhara, Miharu K. Kamatani et al. |
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Zucchini has been identified as an endoribonuclease responsible for the maturation of small RNA molecules that protect the genome from the damaging effects of unrestrained expression of mobile elements. |
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Serine is a natural ligand and allosteric activator of pyruvate kinase M2 ▶ |
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Barbara Chaneton, Petra Hillmann, Liang Zheng, Agnès C. L. Martin, Oliver D. K. Maddocks et al. |
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|
The M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) is a key glycolytic enzyme that is overexpressed in cancer cells; here, serine is shown to bind to and directly activate PKM2, and the resulting reduction in enzyme activity under serine-deprivation conditions is shown to lead to the diversion of glucose-derived carbon to promote serine biosynthesis required for cell proliferation. |
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B12 cofactors directly stabilize an mRNA regulatory switch ▶ |
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James E. Johnson Jr, Francis E. Reyes, Jacob T. Polaski & Robert T. Batey |
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The crystal structures of two different cobalamin (vitamin B12)-binding riboswitches are determined; the structures reveal how cobalamin facilitates interdomain interactions to regulate gene expression. |
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Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of glucose transporters GLUT1–4 ▶ |
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Linfeng Sun, Xin Zeng, Chuangye Yan, Xiuyun Sun, Xinqi Gong et al. |
|
|
A study of X-ray crystal structures of the Escherichia coli xylose transporter XylE, which is a bacterial homologue of the human glucose transporters GLUT1–4, complexed with glucose and its analogues yields a framework for understanding the molecular mechanism by which membrane proteins transport glucose and other sugars across cell membranes. |
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Structure of AMP-PNP-bound vitamin B12 transporter BtuCD–F ▶ |
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Vladimir M. Korkhov, Samantha A. Mireku & Kaspar P. Locher |
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|
The X-ray crystal structure of the transporter-binding protein complex BtuCD–F, involved in the uptake of vitamin B12 across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli, is determined in an ATP analogue-bound state; the membrane-spanning BtuC subunits adopt a previously unseen conformation in which the central translocation pathway is sealed by an additional gate, and membrane transport is seen to occur through an unexpected peristaltic transport mechanism, distinct from what has been observed for other ABC transporters. |
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An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B ▶ |
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Xavier Dumusque, Francesco Pepe, Christophe Lovis, Damien Ségransan, Johannes Sahlmann et al. |
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The detection of an Earth-mass planet orbiting our neighbour star α Centauri B is reported; the planet has an orbital period of 3.236 days and is about 0.04 astronomical units from the star. |
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Epistasis as the primary factor in molecular evolution ▶ |
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Michael S. Breen, Carsten Kemena, Peter K. Vlasov, Cedric Notredame & Fyodor A. Kondrashov |
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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. |
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Hard-X-ray emission lines from the decay of 44Ti in the remnant of supernova 1987A ▶ |
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S. A. Grebenev, A. A. Lutovinov, S. S. Tsygankov & C. Winkler |
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Observations of hard X-rays from the remnant of supernova 1987A in the narrow band containing two direct-escape lines of 44Ti at 67.9 and 78.4 keV imply that this radiation had sufficient energy to power the remnant at late times; the initial mass of 44Ti is estimated to be near the upper bound of theoretical predictions. |
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Circuit quantum electrodynamics with a spin qubit ▶ |
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K. D. Petersson, L. W. McFaul, M. D. Schroer, M. Jung, J. M. Taylor et al. |
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Coupling a superconducting cavity to an indium arsenide double quantum dot with a charge–cavity coupling rate of 30 megahertz shows that long-range spin qubit interactions may be feasible. |
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Delayed build-up of Arctic ice sheets during 400,000-year minima in insolation variability ▶ |
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Qingzhen Hao, Luo Wang, Frank Oldfield, Shuzhen Peng, Li Qin et al. |
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An East Asian winter monsoon proxy record using grain size variations in Chinese loess over the past 900,000 years shows that for up to 20,000 years after the interglacials at 400,000-year intervals, the weak monsoon winds maintain a mild, non-glacial climate at high northern latitudes. |
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An Earth-mass planet orbiting α Centauri B ▶ |
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Xavier Dumusque, Francesco Pepe, Christophe Lovis, Damien Ségransan, Johannes Sahlmann et al. |
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The detection of an Earth-mass planet orbiting our neighbour star α Centauri B is reported; the planet has an orbital period of 3.236 days and is about 0.04 astronomical units from the star. |
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Zinc isotopic evidence for the origin of the Moon ▶ |
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Randal C. Paniello, James M. D. Day & Frédéric Moynier |
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Lunar magmatic rocks are shown to be enriched in the heavy isotopes of zinc and to have lower zinc concentrations than terrestrial or Martian igneous rocks; these variations represent the large-scale evaporation of zinc, most probably in the aftermath of the Moon-forming giant impact event. |
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Coastal eutrophication as a driver of salt marsh loss ▶ |
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Linda A. Deegan, David Samuel Johnson, R. Scott Warren, Bruce J. Peterson, John W. Fleeger et al. |
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A nine-year whole-ecosystem experiment demonstrates that nutrient enrichment, a global problem in coastal ecosystems, can be a driver of salt-marsh loss. |
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Delayed build-up of Arctic ice sheets during 400,000-year minima in insolation variability ▶ |
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Qingzhen Hao, Luo Wang, Frank Oldfield, Shuzhen Peng, Li Qin et al. |
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An East Asian winter monsoon proxy record using grain size variations in Chinese loess over the past 900,000 years shows that for up to 20,000 years after the interglacials at 400,000-year intervals, the weak monsoon winds maintain a mild, non-glacial climate at high northern latitudes. |
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Nurture your career with the new-look Naturejobs As the world's largest dedicated jobs boards for the scientific community, Naturejobs is the ideal resource to build your career.
Our new and improved functionality enables you to search, save and apply for jobs quickly and easily. Search over 10,000 vacancies to find exactly the right job for you at: www.naturejobs.com |
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Careers related news & comment |
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naturejobs.com Science jobs of the week |
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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. |
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• Nature events featured events |
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natureevents featured events |
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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. |
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Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA
Nature Publishing Group's offices: Principal offices: London - New York - Tokyo Worldwide offices: Basingstoke - Boston - Buenos Aires - Delhi - Hong Kong - Madrid - Melbourne - Munich - Paris - San Francisco - Seoul - Washington DC
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© 2012 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved. | |
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