This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 11 January 2008: 135.
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Editorial:
A Case for New Institutions

Kamaljit S. Bawa, Ganesan Balachander, and Peter Raven
Science 11 January 2008: 136.
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Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 11 January 2008: 137.
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Science Podcast

Science 11 January 2008: 221.
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Quarterly Author Index

Science 11 January 2008: 221.
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NEW PRODUCTS

Science 11 January 2008: 221.
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News of the Week

PARTICLE PHYSICS: Budget Cuts Mean Layoffs at Two DOE Labs, End for SLAC Collider

Adrian Cho
Science 11 January 2008: 142.
An unexpectedly tight science budget this year at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will shut down a particle collider in California and curtail activities at another accelerator lab in Illinois. In addition, up to 325 scientists, technicians, and workers are facing layoffs. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

VIROLOGY: HIV Gets By With a Lot of Help From Human Host

Jon Cohen
Science 11 January 2008: 143-144.
According to a startling paper published online (www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1152725) by Science this week, HIV relies on 273 human proteins to do its dirty work. The findings spotlight intriguing, novel drug targets. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

GEOPHYSICS: Daggers Are Drawn Over Revived Cosmic Ray-Climate Link

Jacopo Pasotti
Science 11 January 2008: 144.
A high-profile team has sought to raise the dead in a paper linking changes in Earth's magnetic field to temperature variations in recent millennia. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

PALEOCLIMATE: More Climate Wackiness in the Cretaceous Supergreenhouse?

Richard A. Kerr
Science 11 January 2008: 145.
On page 189 of this week's issue of Science, paleoceanographers present new data that make the case for polar ice at the height of the Cretaceous hothouse 90 million years ago. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

REGULATORY POLICY: Panel: EPA Proposal for Air Pollution Short on Science

Erik Stokstad
Science 11 January 2008: 146.
Critics say proposed changes to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for airborne lead lack adequate scientific analysis and include controversial ideas favored by industry, such as no longer regulating air emissions of lead, that the agency had already nixed. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ECOLOGY: The Importance of Being Eaten

Mitch Leslie
Science 11 January 2008: 146-147.
On page 192 of this week's issue of Science, ecologists reveal that the partnership between acacia trees and the helper ants that fend off intruders for them in East Africa falls apart when large herbivores such as giraffes, elephants, and antelopes are absent. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ENVIRONMENT: Marine Mammals Still Imperiled After Sonar Ruling

Benjamin Lester
Science 11 January 2008: 147.
A federal judge imposed significant restrictions last week on use of the U.S. Navy's submarine-chasing sonar technology in training exercises taking place off the southern California coast through January 2009. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceScope

Science 11 January 2008: 145.
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Random Samples

Science 11 January 2008: 139.
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Newsmakers

Science 11 January 2008: 141.
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News Focus

CHINESE UNIVERSITIES: Gunning for the Ivy League

Hao Xin and Dennis Normile
Science 11 January 2008: 148-151.
As they strive to become world-class educational institutions, China's universities must overcome a host of impediments, from antiquated curricula to mounting debt. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CHINESE UNIVERSITIES: Engineers Aim for a Quality Boost

Dennis Normile and Hao Xin
Science 11 January 2008: 150.
The phenomenal numbers of scientists and engineers churned out by China's universities has prompted much handwringing in the West. But a Duke University team claims the numbers are misleading. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

VALÉRIE PÉCRESSE INTERVIEW: After Initial Reforms, French Minister Promises More Changes

Martin Enserink
Science 11 January 2008: 152.
Despite fierce protests, France's new higher education and research minister pushed through a major university reform bill. I'm only getting started, she says. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION MEETING: Getting a Quick Read on the Biggest Tsunami Earthquakes

Richard A. Kerr
Science 11 January 2008: 153.
At the American Geophysical Union meeting, held in San Francisco, California, from 10 to 14 December 2007, two groups reported new techniques for accurately determining the threat of a tsunami following an earthquake in 10 to 20 minutes rather than waiting hours for reliable data. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION MEETING: Climate Tipping Points Come In From the Cold

Richard A. Kerr
Science 11 January 2008: 153.
A nearly packed half-day session at the American Geophysical Union meeting, held in San Francisco, California, from 10 to 14 December 2007, considered the prospects for a climate system that is still creeping through change but might soon cross a threshold into an entirely new way of operating. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CANCER IMMUNOLOGY: Cancer's Bulwark Against Immune Attack: MDS Cells

Jean Marx
Science 11 January 2008: 154-156.
First noticed in the 1970s, myeloid-derived suppressor cells appear to play a key role in sustaining tumors; new methods of overcoming them are being tested. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

This Week's Letters

Science 11 January 2008: 157.
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 Fighting Algae in Kaneohe Bay

Thomas J. Goreau;, Jennifer E. Smith, Eric J. Conklin, Celia M. Smith, and Cynthia L. Hunter
Science 11 January 2008: 157.
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 Taihu Lake Not to Blame for Wuxi's Woes

Min Yang, Jianwei Yu, Zonglai Li, Zhaohai Guo, Michael Burch, and Tsair-Fuh Lin
Science 11 January 2008: 158.
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 Correcting the Record on the Data Quality Act

William G. Kelly Jr.
Science 11 January 2008: 158-159.
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 Corrections And Clarifications

Science 11 January 2008: 159.
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Books et al.

HISTORY OF SCIENCE: Delicious Tales of Guinea Pigs, Etc.

Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis
Science 11 January 2008: 160.
This account for lay readers approaches the history of heredity and genetics through influential examples of the organisms that biologists studied in developing our current understanding. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY: Keeping Time

Stephen Gray
Science 11 January 2008: 161.
The author offers a new approach to presenting quantum mechanics in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in physical chemistry. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 11 January 2008: 161.
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Policy Forum

ENVIRONMENT: Ocean Iron Fertilization--Moving Forward in a Sea of Uncertainty

Ken O. Buesseler, Scott C. Doney, David M. Karl, Philip W. Boyd, Ken Caldeira, Fei Chai, Kenneth H. Coale, Hein J. W. de Baar, Paul G. Falkowski, Kenneth S. Johnson, Richard S. Lampitt, Anthony F. Michaels, S. W. A. Naqvi, Victor Smetacek, Shigenobu Takeda, and Andrew J. Watson
Science 11 January 2008: 162.
It is premature to sell carbon offsets from ocean iron fertilization unless research provides the scientific foundation to evaluate risks and benefits. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Perspectives

CANCER: A Few to Flip the Angiogenic Switch

Shahin Rafii and David Lyden
Science 11 January 2008: 163-164.
A relatively small number of endothelial progenitor cells have a profound effect on tumor growth and metastasis. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CANCER: Quo Vadis, Specificity?

Hans Schreiber and Donald A. Rowley
Science 11 January 2008: 164-165.
Mutations in cancer cells can give rise to tumor-specific antigens, but abnormal processing of normal molecules in these cells can also elicit an immune response. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

BIOCHEMISTRY: Dicey Assemblies

Joël Janin
Science 11 January 2008: 165-166.
Site-directed mutagenesis allows the symmetry of protein assemblies to be directed in a systematic manner. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

GEOPHYSICS: What Triggers Tremor?

Eliza Richardson and Chris Marone
Science 11 January 2008: 166-167.
Tidal forces and distant earthquakes can increase the low-frequency rumbling that occurs where tectonic plates collide. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CHEMISTRY: Not So Simple

John I. Brauman
Science 11 January 2008: 168.
A molecular-beam study of a classic organic reaction shows that its mechanism is more complex than previously assumed. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Review

Climate Change, Deforestation, and the Fate of the Amazon

Yadvinder Malhi, J. Timmons Roberts, Richard A. Betts, Timothy J. Killeen, Wenhong Li, and Carlos A. Nobre
Science 11 January 2008: 169-172.
Published online 29 November 2007 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1146961] (in Science Express Review)
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Brevia

Widespread Triggering of Nonvolcanic Tremor in California

Joan Gomberg, Justin L. Rubinstein, Zhigang Peng, Kenneth C. Creager, John E. Vidale, and Paul Bodin
Science 11 January 2008: 173.
Published online 22 November 2007 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1149164] (in Science Express Brevia)
A large Alaskan earthquake triggered tremors along the San Andreas and other strike-slip faults in California, showing that this process is not specific to subduction zones. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Stellar Feedback in Dwarf Galaxy Formation

Sergey Mashchenko, James Wadsley, and H. M. P. Couchman
Science 11 January 2008: 174-177.
Published online 29 November 2007 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1148666] (in Science Express Reports)
Simulations show that stellar winds and material expelled from supernovae alter the gravitational potential of dwarf galaxies, perhaps explaining their dark matter cores. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Superconducting Vortices in CeCoIn₅: Toward the Pauli-Limiting Field

Andrea D. Bianchi, Michel Kenzelmann, Lisa DeBeer-Schmitt, Jon S. White, Edward M. Forgan, Joel Mesot, Markus Zolliker, Joachim Kohlbrecher, Roman Movshovich, Eric. D. Bauer, John L. Sarrao, Zachary Fisk, Cedomir Petrovic, and Morten Ring Eskildsen
Science 11 January 2008: 177-180.
The response of CeCoIn5 differs from that of other superconductors and from accepted theory because its superconducting state approaches a quantum critical point. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Self-Assembled Water-Soluble Nucleic Acid Probe Tiles for Label-Free RNA Hybridization Assays

Yonggang Ke, Stuart Lindsay, Yung Chang, Yan Liu, and Hao Yan
Science 11 January 2008: 180-183.
Large DNA scaffolds with multiple pairs of single-strand overhangs can capture specific RNA molecules for subsequent label-free detection by atomic force microscopy. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Imaging Nucleophilic Substitution Dynamics

J. Mikosch, S. Trippel, C. Eichhorn, R. Otto, U. Lourderaj, J. X. Zhang, W. L. Hase, M. Weidemüller, and R. Wester
Science 11 January 2008: 183-186.
A precisely controlled gas-phase collision experiment unveils the quantum mechanical details underlying the classic organic chemical reaction of Cl^- with CH₃I. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Tidal Modulation of Nonvolcanic Tremor

Justin L. Rubinstein, Mario La Rocca, John E. Vidale, Kenneth C. Creager, and Aaron G. Wech
Science 11 January 2008: 186-189.
Published online 22 November 2007 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1150558] (in Science Express Reports)
Small tremors and slow slip along the Cascadia subduction zone pulse every 12.4 and 24 to 25 hours, implying that lunar tides are driving this activity along weak faults. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Isotopic Evidence for Glaciation During the Cretaceous Supergreenhouse

André Bornemann, Richard D. Norris, Oliver Friedrich, Britta Beckmann, Stefan Schouten, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, Jennifer Vogel, Peter Hofmann, and Thomas Wagner
Science 11 January 2008: 189-192.
A glacial interval lasting about 200,000 years interrupted the warm Late Cretaceous climate and produced ice sheets half as large as the modern Antarctic Ice Sheet. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Breakdown of an Ant-Plant Mutualism Follows the Loss of Large Herbivores from an African Savanna

Todd M. Palmer, Maureen L. Stanton, Truman P. Young, Jacob R. Goheen, Robert M. Pringle, and Richard Karban
Science 11 January 2008: 192-195.
Excluding mammalian herbivores from a savanna ecosystem decreased ant colonies on the resident Acacia trees, leading to attack by beetles and unexpected tree mortality. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Endothelial Progenitor Cells Control the Angiogenic Switch in Mouse Lung Metastasis

Dingcheng Gao, Daniel J. Nolan, Albert S. Mellick, Kathryn Bambino, Kevin McDonnell, and Vivek Mittal
Science 11 January 2008: 195-198.
Experiments in mice show that certain bone marrow cells promote the development of lung cancers by helping blood vessels form within the tumors. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Dendritic Cell-Induced Memory T Cell Activation in Nonlymphoid Tissues

Linda M. Wakim, Jason Waithman, Nico van Rooijen, William R. Heath, and Francis R. Carbone
Science 11 January 2008: 198-202.
Immune cells, normally produced in lymphoid organs, can also be activated in the nervous system in response to a viral challenge. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

DNA Oxidation as Triggered by H3K9me2 Demethylation Drives Estrogen-Induced Gene Expression

Bruno Perillo, Maria Neve Ombra, Alessandra Bertoni, Concetta Cuozzo, Silvana Sacchetti, Annarita Sasso, Lorenzo Chiariotti, Antonio Malorni, Ciro Abbondanza, and Enrico V. Avvedimento
Science 11 January 2008: 202-206.
Estrogens trigger histone demethylation, which elicits a local DNA oxidative burst that guides initial assembly of the transcription/repair complex. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Designed Protein-Protein Association

Dirk Grueninger, Nora Treiber, Mathias O. P. Ziegler, Jochen W. A. Koetter, Monika-Sarah Schulze, and Georg E. Schulz
Science 11 January 2008: 206-209.
A few changes in the side chains of amino acids at the contact interfaces of natural enzymes may suffice to induce higher-order oligomers. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Membrane Phosphatidylserine Regulates Surface Charge and Protein Localization

Tony Yeung, Gary E. Gilbert, Jialan Shi, John Silvius, Andras Kapus, and Sergio Grinstein
Science 11 January 2008: 210-213.
A fluorescent tag specific for a negatively charged lipid shows that its higher concentration in endosomes and lysosomes attracts cationic proteins within the cell. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

The Limits of Counting: Numerical Cognition Between Evolution and Culture

Sieghard Beller and Andrea Bender
Science 11 January 2008: 213-215.
Several Pacific-island languages with few words for numbers may be derived from more sophisticated and abstract counting systems rather than being their precursors. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Recognition of a Ubiquitous Self Antigen by Prostate Cancer-Infiltrating CD8⁺ T Lymphocytes

Peter A. Savage, Keith Vosseller, Chulho Kang, Kevin Larimore, Elyn Riedel, Kathleen Wojnoonski, Achim A. Jungbluth, and James P. Allison
Science 11 January 2008: 215-220.
In mice, a common histone protein that coats DNA is unexpectedly detected within prostate tumors by the immune system, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Technical Comments

Comment on "The Southern Ocean Biological Response to Aeolian Iron Deposition"

Philip W. Boyd and Douglas Mackie
Science 11 January 2008: 159.
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Response to Comment on "The Southern Ocean Biological Response to Aeolian Iron Deposition"

Nicolas Cassar, Michael L. Bender, Bruce A. Barnett, Songmiao Fan, Walter J. Moxim, Hiram Levy, II, and Bronte Tilbrook
Science 11 January 2008: 159.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|