This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 1 August 2008: 608.
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Editorial:
Blue Skies for China

Bojie Fu
Science 1 August 2008: 611.
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Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 1 August 2008: 612.
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Science Podcast

Science 1 August 2008: 710.
Summary: The 1 August 2008 show includes a water-splitting catalyst for energy storage applications, the molecular basis of pain, China’s environmental challenges, and more. Full Text »|   Transcript »|  

NEW PRODUCTS

Science 1 August 2008: 710.
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News of the Week

CHEMISTRY: New Catalyst Marks Major Step in the March Toward Hydrogen Fuel

Robert F. Service
Science 1 August 2008: 620.
Summary: This week, researchers report online in Science a new water-splitting catalyst that works under environmentally friendly conditions; other groups report related advances on pages 671 and 676. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

RISK ASSESSMENT: Regulators Seek to Redefine 'Working Life'

David Malakoff
Science 1 August 2008: 621.
Summary: Last week, two senior Democrats in Congress demanded that the Bush Administration kill a proposal to change how the Department of Labor conducts the risk assessments that underpin worker safety regulations. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

LINO BARAÑAO INTERVIEW: New Minister Raises Expectations for Science in Argentina

Jocelyn Kaiser and Eliot Marshall
Science 1 August 2008: 622.
Summary: Argentina's first science minister, cell biologist Lino Barañao, shared his thoughts on his country's scientific ambitions in a brief interview with Science last month. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

PALEONTOLOGY: Is Dinosaur 'Soft Tissue' Really Slime?

Carl Zimmer
Science 1 August 2008: 623.
Summary: This week, scientists challenged a 2005 report of intact blood vessels from a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, arguing that the dinosaur flesh was in fact just coatings of young bacteria. But the original researchers stand by their results, calling the new argument weak. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Will Beijing's Dirty Air Hurt Performance?

Erik Stokstad
Science 1 August 2008: 624.
Summary: Will performance suffer if athletes hit a wall of hot, polluted air in Beijing? Probably, say experts, although there may be some surprising twists. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Can Ice Vests Provide a Competitive Chill?

Adrian Cho
Science 1 August 2008: 625.
Summary: Does lowering body temperature prior to an athletic event improve performance? It depends on the event, experts say--but it still won't make an athlete unbeatable. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: What's Age Got to Do With It?

Science 1 August 2008: 625.
Summary: Olympic medalists span the decades. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Do New Materials Make the Athlete?

Andrea Lu
Science 1 August 2008: 626.
Summary: Athletes are donning ever more high-tech gear in hopes of gaining an edge in the Olympics. But any boost to performance could just be psychological. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Can Neuroscience Provide a Mental Edge?

Greg Miller
Science 1 August 2008: 626-627.
Summary: A collaboration between sports psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists is trying to figure out what gives successful athletes their mental edge. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Does Doping Work?

Martin Enserink
Science 1 August 2008: 627.
Summary: Amphetamines and anabolic steroids can improve performance in certain athletic events. But there's little hard evidence for the efficacy of dozens of other compounds on the list of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE AT THE OLYMPICS: Gender Balance

Science 1 August 2008: 627.
Summary: Although still outnumbered by men, women have been making rapid strides toward achieving equal representation at the Olympics. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceScope

Science 1 August 2008: 623.
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Random Samples

Science 1 August 2008: 617.
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Newsmakers

Science 1 August 2008: 619.
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News Focus

CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES: Three Gorges Dam: Into the Unknown

Richard Stone
Science 1 August 2008: 628-632.
Summary: A marvel of engineering, the Three Gorges Dam will start operating at full capacity later this year. Already under way is an epic experiment on how a dam impacts the environment. Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  Available in Chinese »|  

CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES: Fears Over Western Water Crisis

Richard Stone
Science 1 August 2008: 630.
Summary: Dramatic reductions in water flow in the Tarim River, the lifeblood of Xinjiang Province, mean provincial authorities must act fast to conserve water and find alternative water sources. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES: A Green Fervor Sweeps the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Hao Xin
Science 1 August 2008: 633-635.
Summary: In a controversial venture, officials plan to halt open grazing, eradicate rodents, restore "degraded" grasslands, improve wetlands, and plant many trees and shrubs. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CHINA'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES: Beijing's Marathon Run to Clean Foul Air Nears Finish Line

Richard Stone
Science 1 August 2008: 636-637.
Summary: Drastic measures have brought down levels of some pollutants; a return to business as usual after the Olympics could be bad for health. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

 The Cost Benefits of Early Detection

Warren G. Guntheroth
Science 1 August 2008: 639.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Policy Forum Offered New Ideas

Jianguo Liu and Jared Diamond
Science 1 August 2008: 639.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Survey Says: Name a Role Model

Michael R. Webb
Science 1 August 2008: 639-640.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Gene Mutations and Cognitive Delay

Christiana M. Leonard, John M. Kuldau;, Jon M. McClellan, Tom Walsh, Shane E. McCarthy, Mary-Claire King, and Jonathan Sebat
Science 1 August 2008: 640.
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 Corrections and Clarifications

Science 1 August 2008: 641.
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Books et al.

ECONOMICS: Rural Changes Stimulate Rising Giants

C. Peter Timmer
Science 1 August 2008: 642.
Summary: Exploring the reasons for the dramatic growth of the rural economies of China and India over the past few decades, the authors consider what lessons can be applied to other developing nations and to the problems of poverty in these two countries. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCE FESTIVALS: Celebrating Science as Culture

Lawrence M. Krauss
Science 1 August 2008: 643.
Summary: A researcher who has participated in several science festivals discusses their strengths and weaknesses as a means of improving public understanding of science. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 1 August 2008: 643.
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Policy Forum

RESEARCH FUNDING: Structural Disequilibria in Biomedical Research

Michael S. Teitelbaum
Science 1 August 2008: 644-645.
Summary: Many current problems for U.S. biomedical research can be attributed to fundamental structural elements of the NIH funding system. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Perspectives

IMMUNOLOGY: A Splicing Switch for T Cells

Nick Holmes
Science 1 August 2008: 646-647.
Summary: A single ribonucleoprotein has been identified that triggers RNA splicing changes upon T cell activation. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ASTRONOMY: The Cosmic Rosetta Stone

Volker Bromm
Science 1 August 2008: 647-648.
Summary: Numerical simulations of the first stars to appear in the universe may illuminate the general processes of star formation. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CELL SIGNALING: "Make and Brake" in Signaling

Aristides G. Eliopoulos
Science 1 August 2008: 648-649.
Summary: Proteolysis of one component of a receptor-bound complex releases the complex from the cell surface to the cytoplasm to activate kinase signaling. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CLIMATE CHANGE: Did You Say "Fast"?

Jacqueline Flückiger
Science 1 August 2008: 650-651.
Summary: Greenland ice-core data show that large climatic shifts can occur within just 1 to 3 years. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

MATERIALS SCIENCE: Electrochemical Capacitors for Energy Management

John R. Miller and Patrice Simon
Science 1 August 2008: 651-652.
Summary: Rapid storage and efficient delivery of electrical energy in heavy-duty applications are being enabled by electrochemical capacitors. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CLIMATE CHANGE: Ecosystem Disturbance, Carbon, and Climate

Steven W. Running
Science 1 August 2008: 652-653.
Summary: Models of climate change effects should incorporate land-use changes and episodic disturbances such as fires and insect epidemics. Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Review

Hopping Hotspots: Global Shifts in Marine Biodiversity

W. Renema, D. R. Bellwood, J. C. Braga, K. Bromfield, R. Hall, K. G. Johnson, P. Lunt, C. P. Meyer, L. B. McMonagle, R. J. Morley, A. O'Dea, J. A. Todd, F. P. Wesselingh, M. E. J. Wilson, and J. M. Pandolfi
Science 1 August 2008: 654-657.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Brevia

Evidence of Global Chlorophyll d

Y. Kashiyama, H. Miyashita, S. Ohkubo, N. O. Ogawa, Y. Chikaraishi, Y. Takano, H. Suga, T. Toyofuku, H. Nomaki, H. Kitazato, T. Nagata, and N. Ohkouchi
Science 1 August 2008: 658.
A survey of chlorophyll d, used by a cyanobacterium for harvesting infrared light, implies that this microbe inhabits a much wider range than previously thought. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Research Articles

Crystal Structure of the Termination Module of a Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase

Alan Tanovic, Stefan A. Samel, Lars-Oliver Essen, and Mohamed A. Marahiel
Science 1 August 2008: 659-663.
Published online 26 June 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1159850] (in Science Express Research Articles)
A large enzyme complex assembles peptide natural products without ribosomal participation by successive catalytic steps at the end of a flexible, substrate-loaded arm. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Essential Cytoplasmic Translocation of a Cytokine Receptor–Assembled Signaling Complex

Atsushi Matsuzawa, Ping-Hui Tseng, Sivakumar Vallabhapurapu, Jun-Li Luo, Weizhou Zhang, Haopeng Wang, Dario A. A. Vignali, Ewen Gallagher, and Michael Karin
Science 1 August 2008: 663-668.
Published online 17 July 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1157340] (in Science Express Research Articles)
Degradation of one member of a protein complex that forms when a cytokine receptor is activated causes the complex to move to the cytoplasm, triggering the downstream pathway. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Protostar Formation in the Early Universe

Naoki Yoshida, Kazuyuki Omukai, and Lars Hernquist
Science 1 August 2008: 669-671.
A model traces the coalescence of small variations in gas density after the Big Bang into protostars, showing that the first stars would be large enough to make heavy elements. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

High Rates of Oxygen Reduction over a Vapor Phase–Polymerized PEDOT Electrode

Bjorn Winther-Jensen, Orawan Winther-Jensen, Maria Forsyth, and Douglas R. MacFarlane
Science 1 August 2008: 671-674.
A conducting polymer grown on a high–surface area membrane exhibits rates of oxygen reduction for electrochemical applications comparable with those of platinum electrodes. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Structures of Neutral Au₇, Au₁₉, and Au₂₀ Clusters in the Gas Phase

Philipp Gruene, David M. Rayner, Britta Redlich, Alexander F. G. van der Meer, Jonathan T. Lyon, Gerard Meijer, and André Fielicke
Science 1 August 2008: 674-676.
Vibrational spectroscopy and theory reveal the elusive structures of small, stable gold clusters with catalytic ability: Au₇ has a two-dimensional structure and Au₂₀ is pyramidal. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Colossal Ionic Conductivity at Interfaces of Epitaxial ZrO₂:Y₂O₃/SrTiO₃ Heterostructures

J. Garcia-Barriocanal, A. Rivera-Calzada, M. Varela, Z. Sefrioui, E. Iborra, C. Leon, S. J. Pennycook, and J. Santamaria
Science 1 August 2008: 676-680.
Thin layers of zirconium oxide containing some yttrium in a strontium titanate fuel cell increase its ionic conductivity, allowing it to operate at much lower temperatures. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

High-Resolution Greenland Ice Core Data Show Abrupt Climate Change Happens in Few Years

Jørgen Peder Steffensen, Katrine K. Andersen, Matthias Bigler, Henrik B. Clausen, Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Hubertus Fischer, Kumiko Goto-Azuma, Margareta Hansson, Sigfús J. Johnsen, Jean Jouzel, Valérie Masson-Delmotte, Trevor Popp, Sune O. Rasmussen, Regine Röthlisberger, Urs Ruth, Bernhard Stauffer, Marie-Louise Siggaard-Andersen, Árny E. Sveinbjörnsdóttir, Anders Svensson, and James W. C. White
Science 1 August 2008: 680-684.
Published online 19 June 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1157707] (in Science Express Reports)
Greenland’s climate flipped to a different state within 1 to 3 years more than once during the last deglaciation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

The Global Stoichiometry of Litter Nitrogen Mineralization

Stefano Manzoni, Robert B. Jackson, John A. Trofymow, and Amilcare Porporato
Science 1 August 2008: 684-686.
A global data set shows that the decomposition rate of plant litter is primarily controlled by its nitrogen content, which affects the rate of microbial activity. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Regulation of CD45 Alternative Splicing by Heterogeneous Ribonucleoprotein, hnRNPLL

Shalini Oberdoerffer, Luis Ferreira Moita, Daniel Neems, Rui P. Freitas, Nir Hacohen, and Anjana Rao
Science 1 August 2008: 686-691.
Published online 10 July 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1157610] (in Science Express Reports)
A ribonucleoprotein directs the splicing of the transcript for CD45, a transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase that initiates signaling through antigen receptors. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Pyogenic Bacterial Infections in Humans with MyD88 Deficiency

Horst von Bernuth, Capucine Picard, Zhongbo Jin, Rungnapa Pankla, Hui Xiao, Cheng-Lung Ku, Maya Chrabieh, Imen Ben Mustapha, Pegah Ghandil, Yildiz Camcioglu, Júlia Vasconcelos, Nicolas Sirvent, Margarida Guedes, Artur Bonito Vitor, María José Herrero-Mata, Juan Ignacio Aróstegui, Carlos Rodrigo, Laia Alsina, Estibaliz Ruiz-Ortiz, Manel Juan, Claudia Fortuny, Jordi Yagüe, Jordi Antón, Mariona Pascal, Huey-Hsuan Chang, Lucile Janniere, Yoann Rose, Ben-Zion Garty, Helen Chapel, Andrew Issekutz, László Maródi, Carlos Rodriguez-Gallego, Jacques Banchereau, Laurent Abel, Xiaoxia Li, Damien Chaussabel, Anne Puel, and Jean-Laurent Casanova
Science 1 August 2008: 691-696.
Although a key immune gene is necessary for mice to fight off a broad range of pathogens, in humans it is only required to protect against a few specialized bacteria. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Censoring of Autoreactive B Cell Development by the Pre-B Cell Receptor

Rebecca A. Keenan, Alessandra De Riva, Björn Corleis, Lucy Hepburn, Steve Licence, Thomas H. Winkler, and Inga-Lill Mårtensson
Science 1 August 2008: 696-699.
Published online 19 June 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1157533] (in Science Express Reports)
A protein that helps newly rearranged antibody chains arrive at the cell surface of immature immune cells is found to help delete cells with potential autoreactivity. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Generation of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Mouse Liver and Stomach Cells

Takashi Aoi, Kojiro Yae, Masato Nakagawa, Tomoko Ichisaka, Keisuke Okita, Kazutoshi Takahashi, Tsutomu Chiba, and Shinya Yamanaka
Science 1 August 2008: 699-702.
Published online 14 February 2008 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1154884] (in Science Express Reports)
Induced pluripotent stem cells are generated by direct reprogramming of adult liver and stomach cells. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Supporting Online Material Erratum »|  

The Cell and Molecular Basis of Mechanical, Cold, and Inflammatory Pain

Bjarke Abrahamsen, Jing Zhao, Curtis O. Asante, Cruz Miguel Cendan, Steve Marsh, Juan Pedro Martinez-Barbera, Mohammed A. Nassar, Anthony H. Dickenson, and John N. Wood
Science 1 August 2008: 702-705.
Pain neurons containing a particular sodium channel respond only to cold, mechanical, and inflammatory pain, not to all painful stimuli as previously assumed. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Technical Comments

Comment on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"

Jeffrey C. Hoch, Mark W. Maciejewski, and Michael R. Gryk
Science 1 August 2008: 640.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Comment on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"

Seth D. Friedman
Science 1 August 2008: 640.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Comment on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"

Jacobus F. A. Jansen, John D. Gearhart, and Jeff W. M. Bulte
Science 1 August 2008: 640.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Response to Comments on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"

Petar M. Djuric, Helene Benveniste, Mark E. Wagshul, Fritz Henn, Grigori Enikolopov, and Mirjana Maletic-Savatic
Science 1 August 2008: 640.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|