This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 11 December 2009: 1455.
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Editorial:
Harmonizing Global Science

Alan I. Leshner and Vaughan Turekian
Science 11 December 2009: 1459.
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Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 11 December 2009: 1460.
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Science Podcast

Science 11 December 2009: 1559.
The show includes A newly discovered Late Triassic dinosaur, sustainable floodplain management, solar fuels, and more.. Summary »|   Full Text »|   Transcript »|  

New Products

Science 11 December 2009: 1559.
A weekly roundup of information on newly offered instrumentation, apparatus, and laboratory materials of potential interest to researchers. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

News of the Week

Animal Research
Rejection of Anthrax Study Kicks Up a Dust Storm in Oklahoma

Greg Miller
Science 11 December 2009: 1464.
A media maelstrom erupted last week over a primate research project that was rejected by administrators at Oklahoma State University despite winning federal funding and approval from the university's animal care and use committee. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Climate Change
Deforestation Moves to the Fore in Copenhagen

Eli Kintisch
Science 11 December 2009: 1465.
As the Copenhagen climate meeting unfolds this week, one key topic will be protecting the world's tropical rainforests. The 1997 Kyoto agreement didn't address the issue of deforestation. Participating nations hope to correct that oversight in the next agreement. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Anthropology
Chagnon Critics Overstepped Bounds, Historian Says

Charles C. Mann
Science 11 December 2009: 1466.
Nine years ago, much of the American Anthropological Association's (AAA's) annual meeting echoed journalist Patrick Tierney in attacking Napoleon A. Chagnon, an anthropologist who studied the Yanamamö Indians of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil. At this year's meeting, most of the criticism was leveled at Chagnon's accusers and the AAA itself. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Stem Cells
NIH Approves First New Lines; Many More on the Way

Constance Holden
Science 11 December 2009: 1467.
Last week, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) named the first 13 human embryonic stem cell lines approved for federal funding under President Barack Obama's revised policy. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceNOW.org
From Science's Online Daily News Site

Science 11 December 2009: 1467.
This week, ScienceNOW reported that weight gain may result from a loss of genes; why firstborns don't share; monkeys may use grammar; and a quasar that built a galaxy, among other stories. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Biomedical Research Facilities
Plans for London 'Cathedral Of Science' Unveiled

John Travis
Science 11 December 2009: 1468-1469.
At a media briefing this week, backers of the proposed £500 million–plus United Kingdom Centre for Medical Research and Innovation affirmed their financial commitments to the project and unveiled architects' drawings and a "scientific vision" for the facility. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Gene Therapy
β-Thalassemia Treatment Succeeds, With a Caveat

Jocelyn Kaiser
Science 11 December 2009: 1468-1469.
Gene therapy researchers are approaching a key milestone: They appear to have controlled an inherited blood disorder called β-thalassemia that's more common than any disease treated so far with gene therapy. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceInsider
From the Science Policy Blog

Science 11 December 2009: 1469.
ScienceInsider reported this week that India has created a climate change assessment network that links 220 scientists at 20 institutions and that the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has offered $100 million for the best ideas in the fields of electrofuels, carbon-capture technologies, and high-density battery storage, among other stories. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Genetics
SNP Study Supports Southern Migration Route to Asia

Dennis Normile
Science 11 December 2009: 1470.
A massive effort to catalog genetic variation among Asians described on page 1541 of this week's issue of Science has concluded that Asia was initially settled by a single wave of migration along the coast. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

China
Internet Blockade in Xinjiang Puts A Strain on Science

Richard Stone
Science 11 December 2009: 1471.
For 5 months and counting, an Internet blackout has been hobbling the daily routines of thousands of scientists and students in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Random Samples

Science 11 December 2009: 1463.
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News Focus

Solar Fuels
Sunlight in Your Tank

Robert F. Service
Science 11 December 2009: 1472-1475.
Conventional solar technologies produce electricity, but most transportation fuel comes from oil. A new class of solar chemical reactors aims to make liquid fuels from air, water, and sunshine. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  

Solar Fuels
Biomass Fuel Starts to See the Light

Robert F. Service
Science 11 December 2009: 1474.
Even with a major push, commercial plants capable of turning CO₂ or water into liquid fuels are still likely to be 2 decades away. A simpler version of the technology, however, already appears headed to market. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

AIDS Vaccine Research
HIV Natural Resistance Field Finally Overcomes Resistance

Jon Cohen
Science 11 December 2009: 1476-1477.
People who fend off HIV despite repeated exposures may have genetic or immunologic factors working for them that can help guide AIDS vaccine research. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Human Evolution
What's for Dinner? Researchers Seek Our Ancestors' Answers

Ann Gibbons
Science 11 December 2009: 1478-1479.
To help prevent diseases like diabetes and heart disease today, evolutionary biologists are seeking to understand the tastes of our diverse ancestors. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

 Political Pressure's Effect on Repository Sites

Isaac J. Winograd
Science 11 December 2009: 1480.
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 Political Pressure's Effect on Repository Sites—Response

Rodney C. Ewing and Frank N. von Hippel
Science 11 December 2009: 1480.
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 Not Much Novel Under the Sun

Robert B. Schonberger and Stanley H. Rosenbaum
Science 11 December 2009: 1480-1481.
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 Medical Report's Static Charge Sparks Shock

Jeffrey A. Katz
Science 11 December 2009: 1481.
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 Medical Report's Static Charge Sparks Shock—Response

Robert Alpern and Sharon Long
Science 11 December 2009: 1481-1482.
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 Corrections and Clarifications

Science 11 December 2009: 1482.
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Books et al.

For Younger Readers
Enticing Tales of Science—Some Suggestions from 2009

Heather Malcomson, Barbara Jasny, and Sherman Suter
Science 11 December 2009: 1483-1486.
Short notes on the finalists for this year's Science Books and Films Excellence in Science Books prizes. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

For Younger Readers
Two from Japan

Carl Kay
Science 11 December 2009: 1486.
Notes on two Japanese-language science books for young readers. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 11 December 2009: 1486.
A listing of books received at Science during the week ended 04 December 2009. Summary »|  

Policy Forum

Land Use
Sustainable Floodplains Through Large-Scale Reconnection to Rivers

Jeffrey J. Opperman, Gerald E. Galloway, Joseph Fargione, Jeffrey F. Mount, Brian D. Richter, and Silvia Secchi
Science 11 December 2009: 1487-1488.
If riverside levees are strategically removed or repositioned, the result can be reduced flood risk and increased goods and services. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  

Perspectives

Physics
A Strongly Driven Spin

Brian D. Gerardot and Patrik Öhberg
Science 11 December 2009: 1489-1490.
Extremely fast manipulation of an electron spin at a defect site in diamond may enable advances in quantum information science. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Astronomy
Two Missions, One Microquasar

Giovanni F. Bignami
Science 11 December 2009: 1490-1491.
The detection of high-energy gamma rays is providing a better picture of the structure and dynamics of microquasars. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Plant Science
DNA Binding Made Easy

Daniel F. Voytas and J. Keith Joung
Science 11 December 2009: 1491-1492.
A mechanism by which proteins of bacterial plant pathogens recognize and control the expression of host plant genes to promote infection is identified. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Atmospheric Science
A New Look at Aging Aerosols

Meinrat O. Andreae
Science 11 December 2009: 1493-1494.
As organic aerosols from different sources age in the atmosphere, their properties become remarkably similar. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Medicine
A Reinnervating MicroRNA

Robert H. Brown
Science 11 December 2009: 1494-1495.
A microRNA expressed in skeletal muscle promotes the regeneration of neuromuscular synapses after injury and in a neurodegenerative disease model. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Review

Lumpers and Splitters: Darwin, Hooker, and the Search for Order

Jim Endersby
Science 11 December 2009: 1496-1499.
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Brevia

A Simple Cipher Governs DNA Recognition by TAL Effectors

Matthew J. Moscou and Adam J. Bogdanove
Science 11 December 2009: 1501.
Published online 29 October 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1178817] (in Science Express Brevia)
Xanthomonas bacteria use an amino acid–based code to target effector molecules to specific DNA sequences. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Research Articles

Cell-Specic Information Processing in Segregating Populations of Eph Receptor Ephrin–Expressing Cells

Claus Jørgensen, Andrew Sherman, Ginny I. Chen, Adrian Pasculescu, Alexei Poliakov, Marilyn Hsiung, Brett Larsen, David G. Wilkinson, Rune Linding, and Tony Pawson
Science 11 December 2009: 1502-1509.
A proteomic strategy elucidates signaling networks between cells communicating through ephrin proteins and their receptors. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Breaking the Code of DNA Binding Specificity of TAL-Type III Effectors

Jens Boch, Heidi Scholze, Sebastian Schornack, Angelika Landgraf, Simone Hahn, Sabine Kay, Thomas Lahaye, Anja Nickstadt, and Ulla Bonas
Science 11 December 2009: 1509-1512.
Published online 29 October 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1178811] (in Science Express Research Articles)
Artificial effectors with new specificities have been constructed that mimic proteins injected into plant cells by pathogens. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Modulated High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Microquasar Cygnus X-3

The Fermi LAT Collaboration
Science 11 December 2009: 1512-1516.
Published online 26 November 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.science.1182174] (in Science Express Reports)
Gamma-ray emission from the jet of an accreting binary star system is correlated with the jet’s radio emission. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Organic Nonvolatile Memory Transistors for Flexible Sensor Arrays

Tsuyoshi Sekitani, Tomoyuki Yokota, Ute Zschieschang, Hagen Klauk, Siegfried Bauer, Ken Takeuchi, Makoto Takamiya, Takayasu Sakurai, and Takao Someya
Science 11 December 2009: 1516-1519.
An array of organic-based flash memory–type devices is demonstrated as a pixelated pressure sensor. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Gigahertz Dynamics of a Strongly Driven Single Quantum Spin

G. D. Fuchs, V. V. Dobrovitski, D. M. Toyli, F. J. Heremans, and D. D. Awschalom
Science 11 December 2009: 1520-1522.
Published online 19 November 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.science.1181193] (in Science Express Reports)
Fast spin-flips are observed in the nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Meteorite Kr in Earth’s Mantle Suggests a Late Accretionary Source for the Atmosphere

Greg Holland, Martin Cassidy, and Chris J. Ballentine
Science 11 December 2009: 1522-1525.
Heavy noble gases acquired during Earth’s formation contributed little to the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Evolution of Organic Aerosols in the Atmosphere

J. L. Jimenez, M. R. Canagaratna, N. M. Donahue, A. S. H. Prevot, Q. Zhang, J. H. Kroll, P. F. DeCarlo, J. D. Allan, H. Coe, N. L. Ng, A. C. Aiken, K. S. Docherty, I. M. Ulbrich, A. P. Grieshop, A. L. Robinson, J. Duplissy, J. D. Smith, K. R. Wilson, V. A. Lanz, C. Hueglin, Y. L. Sun, J. Tian, A. Laaksonen, T. Raatikainen, J. Rautiainen, P. Vaattovaara, M. Ehn, M. Kulmala, J. M. Tomlinson, D. R. Collins, M. J. Cubison, E., J. Dunlea, J. A. Huffman, T. B. Onasch, M. R. Alfarra, P. I. Williams, K. Bower, Y. Kondo, J. Schneider, F. Drewnick, S. Borrmann, S. Weimer, K. Demerjian, D. Salcedo, L. Cottrell, R. Griffin, A. Takami, T. Miyoshi, S. Hatakeyama, A. Shimono, J. Y Sun, Y. M. Zhang, K. Dzepina, J. R. Kimmel, D. Sueper, J. T. Jayne, S. C. Herndon, A. M. Trimborn, L. R. Williams, E. C. Wood, A. M. Middlebrook, C. E. Kolb, U. Baltensperger, and D. R. Worsnop
Science 11 December 2009: 1525-1529.
Organic aerosols are not compositionally static, but they evolve dramatically within hours to days of their formation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

A Complete Skeleton of a Late Triassic Saurischian and the Early Evolution of Dinosaurs

Sterling J. Nesbitt, Nathan D. Smith, Randall B. Irmis, Alan H. Turner, Alex Downs, and Mark A. Norell
Science 11 December 2009: 1530-1533.
A complete theropod from New Mexico implies that early dinosaurs dispersed widely, perhaps originating from South America. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

An Analytical Solution to the Kinetics of Breakable Filament Assembly

Tuomas P. J. Knowles, Christopher A. Waudby, Glyn L. Devlin, Samuel I. A. Cohen, Adriano Aguzzi, Michele Vendruscolo, Eugene M. Terentjev, Mark E. Welland, and Christopher M. Dobson
Science 11 December 2009: 1533-1537.
The growth kinetics of amyloid fibrils and related self-assembly phenomena are revealed by analytical theory. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Altered Heterochromatin Binding by a Hybrid Sterility Protein in Drosophila Sibling Species

Joshua J. Bayes and Harmit S. Malik
Science 11 December 2009: 1538-1541.
Published online 22 October 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1181756] (in Science Express Reports)
A male sterility protein localizes to evolutionarily dynamic loci within heterochromatin and leads to their decondensation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Mapping Human Genetic Diversity in Asia

The HUGO Pan-Asian SNP Consortium
Science 11 December 2009: 1541-1545.
Genetic analyses of Asian peoples suggest that the continent was populated through a single migration event. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Positively Selected G6PD-Mahidol Mutation Reduces Plasmodium vivax Density in Southeast Asians

Chalisa Louicharoen, Etienne Patin, Richard Paul, Issarang Nuchprayoon, Bhee Witoonpanich, Chayanon Peerapittayamongkol, Isabelle Casademont, Thanyachai Sura, Nan M. Laird, Pratap Singhasivanon, Lluis Quintana-Murci, and Anavaj Sakuntabhai
Science 11 December 2009: 1546-1549.
Positive selection acts on a hemolytic anemia–causing mutation that affects the proliferation of a blood parasite in humans. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

MicroRNA-206 Delays ALS Progression and Promotes Regeneration of Neuromuscular Synapses in Mice

Andrew H. Williams, Gregorio Valdez, Viviana Moresi, Xiaoxia Qi, John McAnally, Jeffrey L. Elliott, Rhonda Bassel-Duby, Joshua R. Sanes, and Eric N. Olson
Science 11 December 2009: 1549-1554.
A small noncoding RNA promotes nerve-muscle interactions in response to motor neuron injury and slows disease progression. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Norbin Is an Endogenous Regulator of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Signaling

Hong Wang, Linda Westin, Yi Nong, Shari Birnbaum, Jacob Bendor, Hjalmar Brismar, Eric Nestler, Anita Aperia, Marc Flajolet, and Paul Greengard
Science 11 December 2009: 1554-1557.
The protein Norbin regulates the accumulation of a neurotransmitter receptor in mouse brain cell membranes. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|