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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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| Volume 467 Number 7318 pp883-934 |
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 About the cover
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In this issue
 Editorials
World View
Research Highlights
Seven Days
News
Features
Comment
Books and Arts
Correspondence
News & Views
Hypothesis
Article
Letters
Naturejobs
Futures
Also this week
 Editor's summary
 AOP
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| EDITORIALS |
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The balance of probabilities p883
IPCC members last week considered the best way to quantify uncertainty. They are not alone in needing to do so — the media must also take a firm line when it comes to scientific reporting.
doi:10.1038/467883a
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Save our cities p883
Scientists researching problems such as water management should focus more on urban areas.
doi:10.1038/467883b
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A hammer blow to national ethics p884
China needs to act on broader science failures, not simply condemn an isolated case.
doi:10.1038/467884a
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| WORLD VIEW |
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Scientists vs engineers: this time it's financial p885
As public funds dwindle, long-standing divisions between engineers and scientists over their status in society will be laid bare, says Colin Macilwain.
Colin Macilwain
doi:10.1038/467885a
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| RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS |
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Oceanography: Cold water rising in the Pacific p886
doi:10.1038/467886a
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Ecology: Plant patterns predict collapse p886
doi:10.1038/467886b
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Drug development: Worm surgery on a chip p886
doi:10.1038/467886c
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Energy: Plenty of energy, not well shared p886
doi:10.1038/467886d
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Addiction: Brain's balancing act with cocaine p887
doi:10.1038/467887a
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Metabolism: Night light, weight gain p887
doi:10.1038/467887b
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Biosynthesis: Yeast yields plastic ingredient p887
doi:10.1038/467887c
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Neuroscience: The motor skills of musical minds p887
doi:10.1038/467887d
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Microbiology: Salmonella gets help from host p887
doi:10.1038/467887e
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Geoscience: Volcanoes respond to earthquakes p887
doi:10.1038/467887f
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| SEVEN DAYS |
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Seven days: 15–21 October 2010 p888
The week in science
doi:10.1038/467888a
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| NEWS |
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IPCC signs up for reform p891
Panel agrees new guidelines and management restructure, with Pachauri still at the helm.
Quirin Schiermeier
doi:10.1038/467891a
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Elemental shift for kilo p892
A precise atom count could usurp antique mass standard.
Geoff Brumfiel
doi:10.1038/467892a
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Superlaser fires a blank p893
The US National Ignition Facility cautiously approaches the fusion threshold.
Eugenie Samuel Reich
doi:10.1038/467893a
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UK science funds in limbo p894
Public spending cuts leave research councils with hard choices over which fields to support.
Geoff Brumfiel
doi:10.1038/467894a
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Ireland defends research from cuts p895
Government promises that despite massive deficit, last year's science budget fall will be offset by extra cash.
Natasha Gilbert
doi:10.1038/467895a
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Quango bonfire kindles advice fears p895
Abolition of UK regulatory bodies could compromise independent scientific guidance.
Daniel Cressey
doi:10.1038/467895b
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Research: Paris plans science in the suburbs p897
Euros flow in to boost French goal of creating critical mass of cross-agency researchers.
Declan Butler
doi:10.1038/467897a
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Gene-synthesis rules favour convenience p898
But synthetic DNA standards offer little protection, critics say.
Heidi Ledford
doi:10.1038/467898a
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| FEATURES |
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Cities: The urban equation p899
With the majority of the human population now living in cities, Nature takes a look at the implications for scientists.
doi:10.1038/467899a
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Cities: The century of the city p900
The explosion in urban population looks set to continue through the twenty-first century, presenting challenges and opportunities for scientists.
doi:10.1038/467900a
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Environment: Mexico's scientist in chief p902
After winning a Nobel prize for helping to protect the planet, Mario Molina is tackling a much more difficult problem — trying to clean up Mexico City.
doi:10.1038/467902a
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Cities: Building the best cities for science p906
Which urban regions produce the best research — and can their success be replicated?
doi:10.1038/467906a
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| COMMENT |
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Cities lead the way in climate–change action p909
Scientists should do the research to help mayors prepare for a warming world, say Cynthia Rosenzweig, William Solecki, Stephen A. Hammer and Shagun Mehrotra.
Cynthia Rosenzweig, William Solecki, Stephen A. Hammer and Shagun Mehrotra
doi:10.1038/467909a
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A unified theory of urban living p912
It is time for a science of how city growth affects society and environment, say Luis Bettencourt and Geoffrey West.
Luis Bettencourt and Geoffrey West
doi:10.1038/467912a
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Vital statistics p914
As the data deluge swells, statisticians are evolving from contributors to collaborators. Sallie Ann Keller urges funders, universities and associations to encourage this shift.
Sallie Ann Keller
doi:10.1038/467914a
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| BOOKS AND ARTS |
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Climate economics: Hot in the city p915
Robert Buckley cautions that financial incentives alone will not fuel urban adaptation to climate change.
Robert Buckley reviews Climatopolis: How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future Matthew E. Kahn
doi:10.1038/467915a
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Synthetic biology: Living quarters p916
Synthetic biology could offer truly sustainable approaches to the built environment, predict Rachel Armstrong and Neil Spiller.
Rachel Armstrong and Neil Spiller
doi:10.1038/467916a
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Genes and development: The importance of childhood p918
Our emotional brains are shaped by social interactions during infancy, finds Morten Kringelbach.
Morten Kringelbach reviews The Evolution of Childhood: Relationships, Emotion, Mind Melvin Konner
doi:10.1038/467918a
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Books in brief p919
Joanne Baker
doi:10.1038/467919a
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| CORRESPONDENCE |
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Setting the record straight (again) p920
Michael E. Mann, Paul R. Ehrlich and Stefan Rahmstorf
doi:10.1038/467920a
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Nature redesign: what's not to like? p920
George Russell
doi:10.1038/467920b
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Nature redesign: what is to dislike p920
Andrew Sutter
doi:10.1038/467920c
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Concrete evidence of confusion p920
Simon J. Teague
doi:10.1038/467920d
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Let's keep the debate focused p920
Karl Sigmund
doi:10.1038/467920e
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| NEWS & VIEWS |
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Metabolic disorders: Fathers' nutritional legacy p922
A female can develop a diabetes-like disease due to a high fat content in her father's diet before she was conceived. Epigenetic modifications of the father's sperm DNA might underlie this peculiar observation. See Letter p.963
Michael K. Skinner
doi:10.1038/467922a
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See also: Editor's summary | Letter by Ng et al.
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Nanotechnology: Beyond the confines of templates p923
The use of templates to control the morphology of nanostructures is a powerful but inflexible technique. A template that is remodelled during synthesis suggests fresh opportunities for fabricating new nanostructures.
Younan Xia and Byungkwon Lim
doi:10.1038/467923a
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Astronomy: Galaxy sets distance mark p924
A galaxy has smashed the record for the most distant object ever observed. The object sheds light on the nature of the sources that stripped electrons from hydrogen atoms during the reionization epoch. See Letter p.940
Michele Trenti
doi:10.1038/467924a
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See also: Editor's summary | Letter by Lehnert et al.
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Structural biology: Last of the multidrug transporters p926
Proteins that pump a wide range of toxic compounds out of cells are ubiquitous in nature, but crystal structures for one family of these transporters have remained elusive. Until now. See Letter p.991
Hendrik W. van Veen
doi:10.1038/467926a
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See also: Editor's summary | Letter by He et al.
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Atmospheric physics: Chorus keeps the diffuse aurora humming p927
The origin of the diffuse aurora, whose beauty and intensity pale beside those of the famous aurora borealis, has remained controversial. A convincing explanation for this auroral display is now at hand. See Letter p.943
Patrick T. Newell
doi:10.1038/467927a
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See also: Editor's summary | Letter by Thorne et al.
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50 & 100 years ago p928
doi:10.1038/467928a
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| HYPOTHESIS |
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The energetics of genome complexity p929
Nick Lane and William Martin
doi:10.1038/nature09486
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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| ARTICLE |
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Single-molecule analysis of Mss116-mediated group II intron folding p935
DEAD-box helicases use ATP hydrolysis to unwind duplex RNA and facilitate RNA or RNA–protein remodelling. One such helicase is Mss116, which targets a particular group II intron in RNA. Here, single-molecule fluorescence was used to monitor the effect of Mss16 on a minimal construct containing this intron. The data show that Mss16 stimulates the sampling of different folded states of the RNA. Moreover, the helicase promotes RNA folding through discrete ATP-independent and ATP-dependent steps.
Krishanthi S. Karunatilaka, Amanda Solem, Anna Marie Pyle and David Rueda
doi:10.1038/nature09422
Abstract | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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| LETTERS |
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Spectroscopic confirmation of a galaxy at redshift z=8.6 p940
Until now, the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxies known in the Universe were at redshifts of z=8.2 and z=6.96. It is now reported that the galaxy UDFy-38135539 is at a redshift of z=8.5549 ± 0.0002. The finding has implications for our understanding of the timing, location and nature of the sources responsible for reionization of the Universe after the Big Bang.
M. D. Lehnert et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09462
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News & Views by Trenti
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Scattering by chorus waves as the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation p943
Earth's diffuse aurora occurs over a broad latitude range, and is mainly caused by the precipitation of low-energy electrons originating in the central plasma sheet. Theory suggests that two classes of magnetospheric plasma waves — electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves and whistler-mode chorus waves — could be responsible for the electron scattering that leads to diffuse auroral precipitation. Here it is found that scattering by chorus is the dominant cause of the most intense diffuse precipitation.
Richard M. Thorne et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09467
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News & Views by Newell
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Nonlinear electrophoresis of dielectric and metal spheres in a nematic liquid crystal p947
Electrophoresis is a motion of charged dispersed particles relative to a fluid in a uniform electric field. Here it is described how an anisotropic fluid — a nematic liquid crystal — can lead to motion of both charged and neutral particles, even when they are perfectly symmetrical, in any type of electric field. The phenomenon is caused by a distortion in the orientation of the liquid crystals around the particles. The approach could see applications in, for example, display technologies and colloidal assembly and disassembly.
Oleg D. Lavrentovich, Israel Lazo and Oleg P. Pishnyak
doi:10.1038/nature09427
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Recent decline in the global land evapotranspiration trend due to limited moisture supply p951
Climate change is expected to intensify the global hydrological cycle and to alter evapotranspiration, but direct observational constraints are lacking at the global scale. Now a data-driven, machine-learning technique and a suite of process-based models have been used to show that from 1982 to 1997 global evapotranspiration increased by about 7.1 millimetres per year per decade. But since 1998 this increase has ceased, probably because of moisture limitation in the Southern Hemisphere.
Martin Jung et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09396
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Continental warming preceding the Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum p955
The Palaeocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) is a well-known abrupt warming that occurred at about 55.8 Myr ago and is usually thought to have been caused by a large release of greenhouse gases, as recorded in a large carbon isotope excursion. Yet some marine evidence suggests that in fact the warming came first. Here it is shown that continental warming of about 5 °C preceded the excursion in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Thus the PETM seems to have been caused by at least two separate warming events.
Ross Secord, Philip D. Gingerich, Kyger C. Lohmann and Kenneth G. MacLeod
doi:10.1038/nature09441
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Demographic compensation and tipping points in climate-induced range shifts p959
Climate change is expected to shift the latitudinal and altitudinal ranges of species, but the low latitude or low altitude edge does not necessarily move as fast as the high edge. Here, demographic data on two tundra plants have been used to show that changed demographic rates at the lower edge are compensating for the warming climate, but that this effect will not last and a tipping point will be reached as temperatures get warmer.
Daniel F. Doak and William F. Morris
doi:10.1038/nature09439
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Chronic high-fat diet in fathers programs β-cell dysfunction in female rat offspring p963
Here it is shown that the consumption of a high-fat diet by male rats has an intergenerational effect: it leads to the dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells in female offspring. Relative to controls, these offspring showed an early onset of impaired insulin secretion and glucose tolerance, which worsened with time. The results add to our understanding of the complex genetic and environmental factors that are leading to the global epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Sheau-Fang Ng et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09491
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News & Views by Skinner
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Generation of pathogenic TH17 cells in the absence of TGF-β signalling p967
CD4+ T cells that selectively produce interleukin (IL)-17 (TH17 cells) are essential for host defence and autoimmunity. It has been thought that IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 are the factors responsible for initiating the specification of TH17 cells. Here, however, it is shown that TH17 differentiation can occur in the absence of TGF-β signalling. IL-6, IL-23 and IL-1β effectively induced IL-17 production in naive precursors. These data reveal an alternative mode for TH17 differentiation and the importance of IL-23.
Kamran Ghoreschi et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09447
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Oxidative stress induces angiogenesis by activating TLR2 with novel endogenous ligands p972
Here it is shown that the end products of lipid oxidation — ω-(2-carboxyethyl) pyrrole and other related pyrroles — are generated during inflammation and wound healing, and accumulate at high levels in ageing tissues in mice and in highly vascularized tumours in murine and human melanomas. These carboxyalkylpyrroles are recognized by Toll-like receptor 2 on endothelial cells, setting off a chain of events that leads to the growth of new blood vessels.
Xiaoxia Z. West et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09421
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Maternal Rnf12/RLIM is required for imprinted X-chromosome inactivation in mice p977
Two forms of X-chromosome inactivation ensure the selective silencing of female sex chromosomes in mouse embryos. Imprinted silencing begins with the detection of Xist RNA expression on the paternal X chromosome at about the four-cell stage of development. Later, a random form of inactivation silences either the paternal or the maternal X chromosome. Here it is shown that maternal deposits of the ubiquitin ligase Rnf12/RLIM are required for the imprinted form of X-chromosome inactivation.
JongDae Shin et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09457
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Satellite phage TLCφ enables toxigenic conversion by CTX phage through dif site alteration p982
Bacterial chromosomes often carry integrated genetic elements (such as plasmids and prophages) that contribute to the evolutionary fitness of the host bacterium. In Vibrio cholerae, a prophage encodes cholera toxin. Here, the events that led to the acquisition of phage DNA have been reconstructed, revealing the cooperative interactions between multiple filamentous phages that contributed to the emergence of virulent V. cholerae strains.
Faizule Hassan, M. Kamruzzaman, John J. Mekalanos and Shah M. Faruque
doi:10.1038/nature09469
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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TAp63 suppresses metastasis through coordinate regulation of Dicer and miRNAs p986
The aberrant expression of microRNAs and of the enzymes that control their processing has been reported in tumours, but the mechanisms involved are not clear. It is now shown that TAp63, a member of the p53 family of tumour suppressors, suppresses tumorigeneis and metastasis by directly controlling the expression of Dicer (a microRNA-processing enzyme) and Dicer-regulated microRNAs.
Xiaohua Su et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09459
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary
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Structure of a cation-bound multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter p991
Transporter proteins from the MATE (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion) family are involved in metabolite transport in plants, and in multiple-drug resistance in bacteria and mammals. Here, the X-ray crystal structure of a MATE transporter from Vibrio cholerae is reported. The structure is in an outward-facing conformation, and reveals a cation-binding site near to residues previously deemed essential for transport.
Xiao He et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09408
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF
See also: Editor's summary | News & Views by van Veen
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| NATUREJOBS |
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Careers and Recruitment
Biomedical science: Putting research into practice p995
Hospitals are an obvious career destination for medical doctors. But are they a good fit for basic scientists?
Laura Bonetta
doi:10.1038/nj7318-995a
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Column
The best contacts p997
To get a job these days, don't rely on your adviser — use your own networking skills, says Peter Fiske.
Peter Fiske
doi:10.1038/nj7318-997a
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Career Briefs
Biomedical investment p997
Singapore aims to attract local and international young scientific talent.
doi:10.1038/nj7318-997b
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Career Briefs
Huge scholarship rise p997
Doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships in Argentina aim to boost science research pipeline.
doi:10.1038/nj7318-997c
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Career Briefs
Early-career praise p997
Speakers exhort legislators to fund young scientists.
doi:10.1038/nj7318-997d
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| FUTURES |
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Out of time p1000
A vision to behold.
Elizabeth Counihan
doi:10.1038/4671000a
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| ADVANCE ONLINE PUBLICATION |
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| 20 October 2010 |
Formation of the black-hole binary M33 X-7 through mass exchange in a tight massive system
Francesca Valsecchi et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09463
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A methyl transferase links the circadian clock to the regulation of alternative splicing
Sabrina E. Sanchez et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09470
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Antibodies to human serum amyloid P component eliminate visceral amyloid deposits
Karl Bodin et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09494
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Aneuploidy confers quantitative proteome changes and phenotypic variation in budding yeast
Norman Pavelka et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09529
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| 17 October 2010 |
Identification of UBIAD1 as a novel human menaquinone-4 biosynthetic enzyme
Kimie Nakagawa et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09464
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Maternal mRNA deadenylation and decay by the piRNA pathway in the early Drosophila embryo
Christel Rouget et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09465
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A genome-wide RNAi screen reveals determinants of human embryonic stem cell identity
Na-Yu Chia et al.
doi:10.1038/nature09531
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Nature Chemical Biology - Focus on heterogeneity
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Heterogeneity is often equated in scientific terms with complexity, diversity or noise. In this focus issue, we discuss heterogeneity primarily as variations in form and function.
Significant advances in methods and instrumentation in the last decade mean scientists are discovering heterogeneity across biological systems at a remarkable rate, causing a reexamination of the existence and importance of variability in biology. This issue seeks to capture some of these changing ideas as well as challenge scientists to think more carefully about the role and implications of heterogeneity.
Visit the focus website to read more. | |
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Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. The contents of the Natureevents Directory are now live. The digital version is available here.
Find the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia on natureevents.com. For event advertising opportunities across the Nature Publishing Group portfolio please contact natureevents@nature.com |
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