This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 20 June 2008: 1559.
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Editorial:
Drugs, Industry, and Academia

Garret A. FitzGerald
Science 20 June 2008: 1563.
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Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 20 June 2008: 1564.
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Science Podcast

Science 20 June 2008: 1659.
Summary: The 20 June 2008 show hear about a molecular clutch for bacteria, judging fuel efficiency, analyzing China's recent earthquake, and more. Full Text »|   Transcript »|  

NEW PRODUCTS

Science 20 June 2008: 1659.
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News of the Week

SCIENCE EDUCATION: Louisiana Opens School Door for Opponents of Evolution

Fayana Richards
Science 20 June 2008: 1572.
Summary: A bill passed overwhelmingly by the Louisiana state legislature and expected to become law as early as next week marks the latest attack in the United States on the teaching of evolution and mainstream scientific thought on global warming and other topics. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

BIOBANKS: Canada Launches Massive Study of Adult Cancer Precursors

Paul Webster
Science 20 June 2008: 1572-1573.
Summary: Canada has joined the global stampede of countries gathering biological data over decades on a large population cohort in hopes of better understanding the genetic, social, and environmental factors that affect human health. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

BIODEFENSE: Senate Bill Would Alter Biosafety, Select Agent Rules

Jocelyn Kaiser
Science 20 June 2008: 1573.
Summary: Last week, a bipartisan pair of U.S. senators introduced a bill that would streamline the red tape involved in studying potential bioweapons as well as address safety concerns at the nation's biodefense labs. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

RENEWABLE ENERGY: U.K. Ponders World's Biggest Tidal Power Scheme

Daniel Clery
Science 20 June 2008: 1574.
Summary: Wildlife and environmental groups are opposing the construction of the world's largest tidal power scheme on grounds that it will damage a unique ecosystem and that it will cost too much. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

U.S. ENVIRONMENT: Heinz Center Wants Feds to Build Ecosystem Indicator Partnership

Erik Stokstad
Science 20 June 2008: 1575.
Summary: The nonpartisan Heinz Center this week issued a comprehensive update on the health of U.S. ecosystems--along with a plea for the U.S. government to coordinate and fund future assessments. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

AUSTRALIA: Science Minister Drives Push to Strengthen Innovation

Jeffrey Mervis
Science 20 June 2008: 1576.
Summary: Australian science minister Kim Carr is currently visiting the United States to drum up support for all manner of industrial collaborations. Science caught up with him during a daylong visit to Washington, D.C. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

VIROLOGY: Alzheimer's Risk Factor Also Aids HIV

Elsa Youngsteadt
Science 20 June 2008: 1577.
Summary: A study out this week suggests that in addition to predisposing carriers to Alzheimer's disease, the defective lipid transporter apolipoprotein E4 also hastens the death of people infected with HIV, possibly by allowing the virus easy entry into cells. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceScope

Science 20 June 2008: 1575.
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Random Samples

Science 20 June 2008: 1569.
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Newsmakers

Science 20 June 2008: 1571.
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News Focus

GEOPHYSICS: An Unpredictably Violent Fault

Richard Stone
Science 20 June 2008: 1578-1580.
Summary: Chinese researchers placed a dense array of seismometers around a dangerous-looking seam in the rocks of Sichuan--only to be blindsided by the true killer. Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  

BEHAVIORAL GENETICS: Abuzz About Behavior

Elizabeth Pennisi
Science 20 June 2008: 1581.
Summary: Researchers are tracking down the genes underlying variations in alcohol dependence, sleepiness, and other behaviors by studying specially bred fruit flies. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

MICROBIAL ECOLOGY: Out of Thin Air

Christopher Pala
Science 20 June 2008: 1582-1583.
Summary: On a volcano, microbiologists take a trip back through time to understand how microbes help restart life on lava fields and regulate the air we breathe. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

NANO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE NANOTECH 2008: Membrane Makes Plastic Precursor Deliver More Bag for the Buck

Robert F. Service
Science 20 June 2008: 1584.
Summary: Researchers at the Nano Science and Technology Institute Nanotech 2008 meeting, held in Boston from 1 to 5 June, announced the development of a novel metal-ceramic membrane that enables them to produce ethylene, the starting material for polyethylene, more cheaply than current methods. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

NANO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE NANOTECH 2008: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Robert F. Service
Science 20 June 2008: 1584-1585.
Summary: At the Nano Science and Technology Institute Nanotech 2008 meeting, held in Boston from 1 to 5 June, chemists reported an easy-to-use general technique for making dozens of different types of metal oxide nanoparticles that could have a major impact on everything from catalysts to electronics. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

NANO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE NANOTECH 2008: Solar Cells Gear Up to Go Somewhere Under the Rainbow

Robert F. Service
Science 20 June 2008: 1585.
Summary: At the Nano Science and Technology Institute Nanotech 2008 meeting, held in Boston from 1 to 5 June, researchers reported harvesting infrared photons with arrays of antennas akin to those on televisions and in cell phones, a first step toward solar cells that convert heat to electricity. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

 Environmental Revolution Starts at Home

Erle C. Ellis
Science 20 June 2008: 1587.
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 A Graduate Student Oath

Karen D. Davis, Mary V. Seeman, Josie Chapman, and Ori D. Rotstein
Science 20 June 2008: 1587-1588.
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 Corrections and Clarifications

Science 20 June 2008: 1588.
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 Prized Programs Need Both Eyes and Ears

Hugh Loebner
Science 20 June 2008: 1588-1589.
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 Giving Samoan Healers Credit for Prostratin

Paul Alan Cox, Holly E. Johnson, and Gaugau Tavana
Science 20 June 2008: 1589.
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Books et al.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION: For a Redefinition of God

Denis Noble
Science 20 June 2008: 1590-1591.
Summary: The author argues for his emergence-based view of the world and "that the qualities of divinity that we hold sacred—creativity, meaning, purposeful action—are in fact properties of the universe that can be investigated scientifically." Full Text »|   PDF »|  

MICROBIOLOGY: Learning Much from a Bug's Life

Daniel J. Rankin
Science 20 June 2008: 1591-1592.
Summary: Through stories on the biology, studies, and uses of Escherichia coli bacteria, the author offers lay readers an illuminating perspective on life, evolution, bioscience, and biotechnology. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

A TASTE OF THE GONZO SCIENTIST: Scientists Invade Azeroth

John Bohannon
Science 20 June 2008: 1592.
Summary: The Gonzo Scientist describes the first scientific conference held in Azeroth, the virtual world inhabited by World of Warcraft enthusiasts. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 20 June 2008: 1592.
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Policy Forum

ECONOMICS: The MPG Illusion

Richard P. Larrick and Jack B. Soll
Science 20 June 2008: 1593-1594.
Summary: Using "miles per gallon" as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles. Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Perspectives

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE: Sprucing Up Greenland

Eric J. Steig and Alexander P. Wolfe
Science 20 June 2008: 1595-1596.
Summary: Pollen data suggest that the Greenland ice sheet was much smaller during previous warm periods. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CLIMATE CHANGE: A Matter of Firn

Kurt M. Cuffey
Science 20 June 2008: 1596-1597.
Published online 29 May 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1158683] (in Science Express Perspectives)
Summary: Estimating ice sheet mass changes from elevation surveys requires adjustments for snow density variations at the ice sheet surface. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

NEUROSCIENCE: Imaging Astrocyte Activity

Fred Wolf and Frank Kirchhoff
Science 20 June 2008: 1597-1599.
Summary: Astrocytes, like neurons, respond to visual stimuli, affecting vascular dynamics in the brain that provide the basis for imaging techniques. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

MICROBIOLOGY: How Bacteria Change Gear

Richard M. Berry and Judith P. Armitage
Science 20 June 2008: 1599-1600.
Summary: Bacterial motility is arrested when a protein that acts as a clutch disables rotation of the flagellar motor. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

GEOCHEMISTRY: What Drives Iron Isotope Fractionation in Magma?

Stefan Weyer
Science 20 June 2008: 1600-1601.
Summary: Unlike other metals, magmatic melting and recrystallization fractionate iron isotopes, possibly because of the different oxidation states of iron. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

APPLIED PHYSICS: Diamond for Quantum Computing

Steven Prawer and Andrew D. Greentree
Science 20 June 2008: 1601-1602.
Summary: Optically active defects in diamonds are promising candidates for the building blocks of quantum computers. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

RETROSPECTIVE: John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008)

Kip S. Thorne
Science 20 June 2008: 1603.
Summary: The deep insights and far-reaching speculations of a theoretical physicist inspired generations of students. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Review

Policies Designed for Self-Interested Citizens May Undermine "The Moral Sentiments": Evidence from Economic Experiments

Samuel Bowles
Science 20 June 2008: 1605-1609.
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Brevia

Auxin Gradients Are Associated with Polarity Changes in Trees

Eric M. Kramer, Michael Lewandowski, Satvik Beri, Jessica Bernard, Matthew Borkowski, Michael H. Borkowski, Laura Ann Burchfield, Brenda Mathisen, and Jennifer Normanly
Science 20 June 2008: 1610.
In quaking aspen trees that have been injured, gradients of the hormone auxin redirect the wood grain as the wound heals. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Strong Limit on a Variable Proton-to-Electron Mass Ratio from Molecules in the Distant Universe

Michael T. Murphy, Victor V. Flambaum, Sébastien Muller, and Christian Henkel
Science 20 June 2008: 1611-1613.
Absorbed radio emissions from a distant quasar provide an estimate of a fundamental constant, the proton/electron mass ratio, over time and limit its possible variations. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Single-Cycle Nonlinear Optics

E. Goulielmakis, M. Schultze, M. Hofstetter, V. S. Yakovlev, J. Gagnon, M. Uiberacker, A. L. Aquila, E. M. Gullikson, D. T. Attwood, R. Kienberger, F. Krausz, and U. Kleineberg
Science 20 June 2008: 1614-1617.
Ionizing neon atoms with light pulses generates shorter light bursts, less than 100 attoseconds long, that can be used to test electron interactions and strong-field theories. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

The Formation Conditions of Chondrules and Chondrites

C. M. O'D. Alexander, J. N. Grossman, D. S. Ebel, and F. J. Ciesla
Science 20 June 2008: 1617-1619.
The high sodium content of grains from the early solar system implies that they formed in parts of the solar nebula with unexpectedly high densities of dust, limiting volitalization. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Iron Isotope Fractionation During Magmatic Differentiation in Kilauea Iki Lava Lake

Fang-Zhen Teng, Nicolas Dauphas, and Rosalind T. Helz
Science 20 June 2008: 1620-1622.
Iron isotopes fractionated between crystals and melt during crystallization of a lava lake, despite temperatures exceeding 1000° Celsius, perhaps influenced by differing iron oxidation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Natural Variability of Greenland Climate, Vegetation, and Ice Volume During the Past Million Years

Anne de Vernal and Claude Hillaire-Marcel
Science 20 June 2008: 1622-1625.
A 1-million-year pollen record shows that that the southern part of the Greenland ice sheet melted enough during some past warm episodes so that forests grew. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Elevation Changes in Antarctica Mainly Determined by Accumulation Variability

Michiel M. Helsen, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Roderik S. W. van de Wal, Willem Jan van de Berg, Erik van Meijgaard, Curt H. Davis, Yonghong Li, and Ian Goodwin
Science 20 June 2008: 1626-1629.
Published online 29 May 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1153894] (in Science Express Reports)
Satellite data since 1995, corrected for the conversion of snow to denser ice, imply that ice sheets grew slowly in the East Antarctic but decreased around the Amundsen Sea. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Natural Selection Shapes Genome-Wide Patterns of Copy-Number Polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster

J. J. Emerson, Margarida Cardoso-Moreira, Justin O. Borevitz, and Manyuan Long
Science 20 June 2008: 1629-1631.
Published online 5 June 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1158078] (in Science Express Reports)
A high-resolution analysis of gene copy number in Drosphila species shows that most variations are deleterious but a few for resistance to toxins are being positively selected. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Phylogeny-Aware Gap Placement Prevents Errors in Sequence Alignment and Evolutionary Analysis

Ari Löytynoja and Nick Goldman
Science 20 June 2008: 1632-1635.
An algorithm that treats insertions and deletions as distinct events in genomic data improves sequence alignments, allowing more accurate phylogenetic studies. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

A Molecular Clutch Disables Flagella in the Bacillus subtilis Biofilm

Kris M. Blair, Linda Turner, Jared T. Winkelman, Howard C. Berg, and Daniel B. Kearns
Science 20 June 2008: 1636-1638.
One bacterial protein synthesized during the production of a biofilm matrix acts as a clutch to disable the flagellum while the microbe is constrained in the biofilm. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Tuned Responses of Astrocytes and Their Influence on Hemodynamic Signals in the Visual Cortex

James Schummers, Hongbo Yu, and Mriganka Sur
Science 20 June 2008: 1638-1643.
Astrocytes in the visual cortex respond to visual stimuli, showing receptive field properties (response kinetics, orientation, and localization) similar to those of neurons. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Proliferating Cells Express mRNAs with Shortened 3' Untranslated Regions and Fewer MicroRNA Target Sites

Rickard Sandberg, Joel R. Neilson, Arup Sarma, Phillip A. Sharp, and Christopher B. Burge
Science 20 June 2008: 1643-1647.
Dividing immune cells tend to synthesize messenger RNAs with shorter 3’ regulatory regions, possibly because less control is required over RNA functions. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Evolution of Mammals and Their Gut Microbes

Ruth E. Ley, Micah Hamady, Catherine Lozupone, Peter J. Turnbaugh, Rob Roy Ramey, J. Stephen Bircher, Michael L. Schlegel, Tammy A. Tucker, Mark D. Schrenzel, Rob Knight, and Jeffrey I. Gordon
Science 20 June 2008: 1647-1651.
Published online 22 May 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1155725] (in Science Express Reports)
Genomic sampling of the microbes in the feces of 60 mammals show that herbivores harbor the most diversity and that individuals of the same species have the same flora. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Ankyrin Repeat Proteins Comprise a Diverse Family of Bacterial Type IV Effectors

Xiaoxiao Pan, Anja Lührmann, Ayano Satoh, Michelle A. Laskowski-Arce, and Craig R. Roy
Science 20 June 2008: 1651-1654.
A microbial protein containing ankyrin repeats is injected into host cells through a specialized secretion system where it prevents microtubule-dependent vesicular fusion. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Bora and the Kinase Aurora A Cooperatively Activate the Kinase Plk1 and Control Mitotic Entry

Akiko Seki, Judith A. Coppinger, Chang-Young Jang, John R. Yates, and Guowei Fang
Science 20 June 2008: 1655-1658.
Mitosis begins in mammalian cells when a protein accumulates between cell divisions and interacts with a second protein to initiate a cascade of kinase activation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Technical Comments

Comment on "Athabasca Valles, Mars: A Lava-Draped Channel System"

David P. Page
Science 20 June 2008: 1588.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Response to Comment on "Athabasca Valles, Mars: A Lava-Draped Channel System"

W. L. Jaeger, L. P. Keszthelyi, A. S. McEwen, T. N. Titus, C. M. Dundas, and P. S. Russell
Science 20 June 2008: 1588.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|