In this week's issue:
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Research Summaries |
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Editor summaries of this week's papers. Highlights of the recent literature.
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Editorial |
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News of The Week |
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In science news around the world, the upgraded Alvin deep-sea submersible prepares to return to scientific service, researchers urge the Spanish government to rescind approval of a drug linked to vulture deaths, and more.
Neuroscientist Huda Zoghbi wins the March of Dimes' developmental biology prize, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters selects Princeton mathematician Yakov Sinai for its Abel Prize in mathematics, and theoretical physicist William Goldstein takes the helm at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
NASA engineers make a foray into fashion with three outlandish designs for the new Z-2 space suits, and encourage the public to vote on which will become a prototype.
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News & Analysis |
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Oso Disaster Richard Stone and Robert F. Service
While some experts have suggested that the deadly Oso landslide in Washington on 22 March could have been foreseen, others argue that it was an extreme event that could not have been anticipated.
Planetary Science Richard A. Kerr
Suspicions that Saturn's icy moon Enceladus harbors an internal ocean—one that could host life—have hardened into near certainty with exquisitely precise observations from the Cassini spacecraft.
Archaeology Andrew Curry
This week, archaeologists from around the world will gather in the ancient city of Erbil to discuss its long history and the suddenly promising future for archaeological research in surrounding Iraqi Kurdistan.
Theoretical Physics Adrian Cho
As evidence mounts for cosmic inflation, theorists must confront a bedeviling conceptual problem in the theory.
Climate Science Eli Kintisch
In a new report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has gotten much more specific on the impacts of climate change and how nations can adapt.
Environmental Policy Virginia Morell
The United Nations' highest court dealt a blow to Japan's scientific whaling program in the Antarctic, saying it isn't science.
Stem Cell Research Dennis Normile
Fabrication and falsification raise further concerns about claims for a new and easy way to create stem cells.
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News Focus |
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Jennifer Couzin-Frankel
As constraints take hold in biomedicine, scientists are forced to adapt.
Jocelyn Kaiser
A young Parkinson's researcher struggles to establish herself, a task made much harder by the challenge of landing her first big grant.
Eliot Marshall
After a long and successful career, a biochemist is shocked when his grants aren't renewed—and he seeks alternatives to stay in the game.
Jennifer Couzin-Frankel
Her funding tight, a biologist adapts her work on early brain development as she strives to keep training young scientists.
Jocelyn Kaiser
A vice president for research enjoys a healthy budget and strategizes to pull more dollars in.
Kelly Servick
A geneticist with nearly $3 million in grants considers what's behind his financial success.
David Malakoff
Looking for new dollars, a nutritionist turns to crowd funding, and hopes she can raise what she needs by the deadline.
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
A microbiologist opens his books to share his expenses and where his grant money goes.
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Letters |
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Books et al. |
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History of Science B. Harun Küçük
Through her exploration of the impact of Darwinian theories on the intellectual life of Ottoman Syria and Egypt, Elshakry illuminates the development of science-and-religion issues in the region.
Exhibition Caroline Ash
An exhibition on Viking culture currently at the British Museum emphasizes the influences of its connections with Europe, Byzantium, and the Middle East.
A listing of books received at Science during the week ending 28 March 2014.
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Policy Forum |
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Research Funding Bruce A. Weinberg et al.
Expenditures from grant funds support many different types of workers and vendors across the nation.
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Perspectives |
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Neuroscience Shrivats M. Iyer and Scott L. Delp
Applying tools from optogenetics with ideas from regenerative medicine may herald a new era of translational optogenetics. [Also see Report by Bryson et al.]
Chemistry Igor Alabugin and Rana K. Mohamed
The fleeting stability of the cyanoformate ion formed from CO2 and cyanide has implications for plant enzymology and CO2 sequestration. [Also see Report by Murphy et al.]
Ecology Rosie Woodroffe et al.
Fences must be used with care in biodiversity conservation to avoid unintended consequences.
Neuroscience Richard S. Mann
A pair of neurons in the CNS of flies controls and coordinates their ability to walk backward. [Also see Report by Bidaye et al.]
Immunology Anthony S. Fauci et al.
Future HIV vaccine research should consider the balance between responses that favor protection and those that lead to susceptibility to infection.
Geophysics Katherine A. Kelley
Mid-ocean ridge volcanoes sample a mantle that varies in temperature and composition. [Also see Report by Dalton et al.]
Oceans David W. Lea
Paleoclimate data point to a warm tropical ocean with a clear east-west temperature gradient during the warm climates of the Pliocene and Miocene. [Also see Report by Zhang et al.]
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Reviews |
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Research Articles |
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Narayana Annaluru et al.
A synthetic version of yeast chromosome III with every gene tagged can substitute for the original.
Huixian Wu et al.
Insight into the activation mechanism of a human neuronal G protein–coupled receptor.
Ryosuke Iinuma et al.
Stiff DNA tripod units enabled the assembly of wireframe polyhedra with edges 100 nanometers in length.
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Reports |
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Jan Timo Grotwinkel et al.
Structures of part of the signal recognition complex help explain how newly synthesized proteins are inserted into membranes.
Sheng Xu et al.
Flexible skin-integrated electronic sensors enable continuous, wireless health monitoring.
Luke J. Murphy et al.
Characterization of a cyanide–carbon dioxide adduct bolsters its possible role in protecting a plant enzyme from cyanide inhibition. [Also see Perspective by Alabugin and Mohamed]
L. Iess et al.
The saturnian moon is differentiated and likely hosts a regional subsurface sea at its southern pole.
Colleen A. Dalton et al.
Temperature variations in the upper mantle drive mantle convection. [Also see Perspective by Kelley]
Yi Ge Zhang et al.
A strong Pacific zonal surface ocean temperature gradient has existed for the past 12 million years. [Also see Perspective by Lea]
Peng-Fei Xu et al.
Opposing gradients of bone morphogenetic protein and Nodal can induce the formation of a zebrafish embryo.
C. G. Wilkerson et al.
Engineered poplar lignin with readily cleavable ester bonds in the polymer backbone improves wood degradability.
J. Barney Bryson et al.
Transplanted neurons controlled by light can drive muscle function in damaged mouse sciatic nerves. [Also see Perspective by Iyer and Delp]
Salil S. Bidaye et al.
Activation of descending command neurons in Drosophila induces flies to walk backward. [Also see Perspective by Mann]
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Podcast |
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On this week's show: life under rapid funding change and a news roundup with David Grimm.
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New Products |
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A weekly roundup of information on newly offered instrumentation, apparatus, and laboratory materials of potential interest to researchers.
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From the AAAS Office of Publishing and Member Services |
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Science Webinar Series Lori Conlan et al.
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