This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 17 April 2009: 309.
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Editorial:
Accountability and Transparency

Alan I. Leshner
Science 17 April 2009: 313.
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Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 17 April 2009: 315.
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Science Podcast

Science 17 April 2009: 411.
The 17 April 2009 show includes improving minority student performance, laser fusion at the National Ignition Facility, and more. Summary »|   Full Text »|   Transcript »|  

NEW PRODUCTS

Science 17 April 2009: 411.
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News of the Week

U.S. SCIENCE POLICY: NIH Stimulus Plan Triggers Flood of Applications--and Anxiety

Jocelyn Kaiser
Science 17 April 2009: 318-319.
Researchers and university administrators are burning the midnight oil as they scramble to apply for a slice of an additional $8.2 billion in research funding that the National Institutes of Health has been given as part of the stimulus bill. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

U.S. SCIENCE POLICY: NSF Is Keeping It Simple

Jeffrey Mervis
Science 17 April 2009: 319.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is using its $2 billion windfall from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund more proposals already in the pipeline, reducing what officials say is a $2-billion-a-year backlog of good ideas. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY: Study Suggests a Renewable Source of Eggs and Stirs More Controversy

Dennis Normile
Science 17 April 2009: 320.
A new study has turned up the heat on an already blazing--and sometimes nasty--debate over one of the dogmas of reproductive biology: that female mammals start life with a limited number of eggs and cannot produce new ones after birth. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

GEOCHEMISTRY: Great Oxidation Event Dethroned?

Richard A. Kerr
Science 17 April 2009: 321.
New laboratory results reported on page 370 of this week's issue of Science challenge the view that the atmosphere of early Earth was devoid of oxygen by showing how supposed signs of an early lack of oxygen could have come from unrelated geochemical reactions. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCENOW.ORG: From Science's Online Daily News Site

Science 17 April 2009: 321.
Highlights from Science's online daily news site, ScienceNOW, this week include blasting for ice on Mars, the optical illusion called motion aftereffect, and preventing malaria by killing old mosquitoes instead of young ones. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION: After the Quake, in Search of the Science--or Even a Good Prediction

Richard A. Kerr
Science 17 April 2009: 322.
Did technician Gioacchino Giuliani successfully predict last week's quake that crumbled buildings in the Italian city of L'Aquila, killing more than 270? He thinks so, but Italian scientists say his methods have no merit. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CLIMATE CHANGE: New Push Focuses on Quick Ways to Curb Global Warming

Eli Kintisch
Science 17 April 2009: 323.
Reducing emissions of black carbon and other short-lived pollutants that contribute to global warming could buy the world crucial time while governments begin the slow overhaul of global energy systems that will be required to reduce emissions of CO₂, climate modelers reported last week in Nature Geosciences. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

SCIENCEINSIDER: From the Science Policy Blog

Science 17 April 2009: 323.
Science's policy blog, ScienceInsider, reported this week on a conflict between Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) over sharing energy technology, the return to work of the scientist exposed to Ebola virus, budget cuts for Irish scientists, and other stories. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: John Holdren Brings More Than Energy to His Role as Science Adviser

Jeffrey Mervis
Science 17 April 2009: 324-325.
In one of his first interviews since his Senate confirmation 19 March, presidential science adviser John Holdren told Science last week that he hopes to wield considerable influence on energy. He also spoke frankly on issues ranging from nuclear proliferation to the teaching of evolution. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Random Samples

Science 17 April 2009: 317.
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News Focus

PHYSICS: Fusion's Great Bright Hope

Daniel Clery
Science 17 April 2009: 326-330.
New realms of chemistry and physics. Nuclear tests without nukes. A giant step toward fusion power. Even if the National Ignition Facility works as planned, how much can it really deliver? Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  

PHYSICS: A Long, Winding Road to Ignition

Daniel Clery
Science 17 April 2009: 327.
The laser system of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) pushes the boundaries of technology. If all goes according to plan, the complex series of reactions will ultimately generate more energy than the laser pumped in. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

PHYSICS: What's Next for ICF?

Daniel Clery
Science 17 April 2009: 328-329.
If the National Ignition Facility reaches its goal of ignition, it will be a triumph of plasma science. But physicists will still be far from showing that inertial confinement fusion is a viable energy source for the future. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY: Will Captive Breeding Save Africa's King of Beasts?

Jerry Guo
Science 17 April 2009: 331.
One nonprofit claims its lion reintroduction program will ensure a stable population of the iconic predator; many experts are dubious. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

LINGUISTICS: How Many Languages? Linguists Discover New Tongues in China

Michael Erard
Science 17 April 2009: 332-333.
Researchers working in remote China have uncovered dozens of languages that had been hidden by mountainous terrain and administrative practice. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

 Scientists: Listen Up!

Jameson M. Wetmore, Ira Bennett, William H. Hooke, and Tim Miller
Science 17 April 2009: 334.
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 Type 2 Polio Still in Our Midst

Lester M. Shulman, Yossi Manor, Danit Sofer, and Ella Mendelson
Science 17 April 2009: 334.
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 Synthesizing Knowledge in the Classroom

Nina A. Mayr, Simon S. Lo, Jian Z. Wang, and William T. C. Yuh
Science 17 April 2009: 334-335.
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 When Scientific Data Become Legal Evidence

Harvey S. Frey;, Teneille Brown, Emily R. Murphy, Mark Gerstein, and Dov Greenbaum
Science 17 April 2009: 335-336.
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 Corrections and Clarifications

Science 17 April 2009: 336.
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Books et al.

INTERNET AND SOCIETY: Sharing, Trading, Creating Culture

Yochai Benkler
Science 17 April 2009: 337-338.
Arguing that current copyright law harms most everyone who creates, sells, or enjoys art (very broadly defined), Lessig presents an alternative approach, "read-write" culture. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

INTERNET AND SOCIETY: Growing Up Connected

Jennifer Preece
Science 17 April 2009: 338.
Palfrey and Gasser explore what growing up in a digital world may mean for children and society. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 17 April 2009: 338.
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Policy Forum

SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT: Governance and Environmental Change in the Arctic Ocean

Paul Arthur Berkman and Oran R. Young
Science 17 April 2009: 339-340.
Strategies are being sought that will promote international cooperation and reduce the risks of discord in the Arctic Ocean. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Perspectives

PALEONTOLOGY: Emerging onto a Tangled Bank

Matt Friedman
Science 17 April 2009: 341-342.
Fossils reveal how early tetrapods moved from water to land at an individual--rather than a phylogenetic--scale. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

PHYSICS: Less Is More

Martin B. Plenio
Science 17 April 2009: 342-343.
Even though the complexity of a quantum system grows exponentially with size, we may ignore details in determining key properties Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CELL BIOLOGY: Ceramides--Friend or Foe in Hypoxia?

C. Michael Crowder
Science 17 April 2009: 343-344.
Molecular details of how nematode cells respond to a low-oxygen environment suggest a possible mechanism by which mammalian cells survive hypoxic conditions. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ENGINEERING: Can Technology Get Your Eyes Back on the Road?

John D. Lee
Science 17 April 2009: 344-346.
Technology can provide alerts as well as long-term feedback to help drivers pay attention to the road. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

CELL BIOLOGY: Two Lipids That Give Direction

Jean-François Côté and Kristiina Vuori
Science 17 April 2009: 346-347.
Precise and sequential intracellular signaling events involving two phospholipids direct an immune cell toward an attractant molecule gradient. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

OCEANS: Limits to Marine Life

Peter G. Brewer and Edward T. Peltzer
Science 17 April 2009: 347-348.
Ocean "dead zones" devoid of aerobic life are likely to grow as carbon dioxide concentrations rise. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Review

Strengthening Materials by Engineering Coherent Internal Boundaries at the Nanoscale

K. Lu, L. Lu, and S. Suresh
Science 17 April 2009: 349-352.
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Brevia

Origin and Radiation of the Earliest Vascular Land Plants

Philippe Steemans, Alain Le Hérissé, John Melvin, Merrell A. Miller, Florentin Paris, Jacques Verniers, and Charles H. Wellman
Science 17 April 2009: 353.
A discovery of fossil spores suggests that land plants evolved earlier than previously postulated. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Research Article

Optical Deconstruction of Parkinsonian Neural Circuitry

Viviana Gradinaru, Murtaza Mogri, Kimberly R. Thompson, Jaimie M. Henderson, and Karl Deisseroth
Science 17 April 2009: 354-359.
Published online 19 March 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1167093] (in Science Express Research Articles)
The therapeutic effects of high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus result from direct effects on afferent axons. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Probing Interactions Between Ultracold Fermions

G. K. Campbell, M. M. Boyd, J. W. Thomsen, M. J. Martin, S. Blatt, M. D. Swallows, T. L. Nicholson, T. Fortier, C. W. Oates, S. A. Diddams, N. D. Lemke, P. Naidon, P. Julienne, Jun Ye, and A. D. Ludlow
Science 17 April 2009: 360-363.
Laser probing of identical fermions in optical traps introduces distinctions that give rise to collisional signatures. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Contrasting Developmental Trajectories in the Earliest Known Tetrapod Forelimbs

Viviane Callier, Jennifer A. Clack, and Per E. Ahlberg
Science 17 April 2009: 364-367.
Growth of the humerus of Acanthostega shows no functional change during life, whereas that of Ichthyostega shows differences between juvenile and adults. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

A Ferroelectric Oxide Made Directly on Silicon

Maitri P. Warusawithana, Cheng Cen, Charles R. Sleasman, Joseph C. Woicik, Yulan Li, Lena Fitting Kourkoutis, Jeffrey A. Klug, Hao Li, Philip Ryan, Li-Peng Wang, Michael Bedzyk, David A. Muller, Long-Qing Chen, Jeremy Levy, and Darrell G. Schlom
Science 17 April 2009: 367-370.
Thin, strained films of strontium titanate, deposited directly on silicon, form ferroelectric domains that can be patterned. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Anomalous Fractionations of Sulfur Isotopes During Thermochemical Sulfate Reduction

Yumiko Watanabe, James Farquhar, and Hiroshi Ohmoto
Science 17 April 2009: 370-373.
Reactions between organic matter and sulfate can fractionate sulfur isotopes in a way that does not depend on mass. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Origin of Nucleosynthetic Isotope Heterogeneity in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk

Anne Trinquier, Tim Elliott, David Ulfbeck, Christopher Coath, Alexander N. Krot, and Martin Bizzarro
Science 17 April 2009: 374-376.
Titanium isotope anomalies in meteorites do not reflect heterogeneity of the initial stage of the protoplanetary disk. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Atlantic Forcing of Persistent Drought in West Africa

T. M. Shanahan, J. T. Overpeck, K. J. Anchukaitis, J. W. Beck, J. E. Cole, D. L. Dettman, J. A. Peck, C. A. Scholz, and J. W. King
Science 17 April 2009: 377-380.
Severe droughts, lasting from decades to centuries, have occurred repeatedly in West Africa during the past 3000 years. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Protection of C. elegans from Anoxia by HYL-2 Ceramide Synthase

Vincent Menuz, Kate S. Howell, Sébastien Gentina, Sharon Epstein, Isabelle Riezman, Monique Fornallaz-Mulhauser, Michael O. Hengartner, Marie Gomez, Howard Riezman, and Jean-Claude Martinou
Science 17 April 2009: 381-384.
Enzymes that catalyze synthesis of ceramide lipids influence survival of worms during anoxia. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Sequential Regulation of DOCK2 Dynamics by Two Phospholipids During Neutrophil Chemotaxis

Akihiko Nishikimi, Hideo Fukuhara, Wenjuan Su, Tsunaki Hongu, Shunsuke Takasuga, Hisashi Mihara, Qinhong Cao, Fumiyuki Sanematsu, Motomu Kanai, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Yoshihiko Tanaka, Masakatsu Shibasaki, Yasunori Kanaho, Takehiko Sasaki, Michael A. Frohman, and Yoshinori Fukui
Science 17 April 2009: 384-387.
Published online 26 March 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1170179] (in Science Express Reports)
The signaling lipid phosphatidic acid links chemoattractant signals to directional movement of neutrophils. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Rare Variants of IFIH1, a Gene Implicated in Antiviral Responses, Protect Against Type 1 Diabetes

Sergey Nejentsev, Neil Walker, David Riches, Michael Egholm, and John A. Todd
Science 17 April 2009: 387-389.
Published online 5 March 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1167728] (in Science Express Reports)
Deep resequencing revealed rare alleles that were significantly associated with protection from diabetes. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Local DNA Topography Correlates with Functional Noncoding Regions of the Human Genome

Stephen C. J. Parker, Loren Hansen, Hatice Ozel Abaan, Thomas D. Tullius, and Elliott H. Margulies
Science 17 April 2009: 389-392.
Published online 12 March 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1169050] (in Science Express Reports)
The molecular shape of DNA, as well as the nucleotide sequence itself, can have functional consequences and constrain evolution. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

In Vivo Analysis of Dendritic Cell Development and Homeostasis

Kang Liu, Gabriel D. Victora, Tanja A. Schwickert, Pierre Guermonprez, Matthew M. Meredith, Kaihui Yao, Fei-Fan Chu, Gwendalyn J. Randolph, Alexander Y. Rudensky, and Michel Nussenzweig
Science 17 April 2009: 392-397.
Published online 12 March 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1170540] (in Science Express Reports)
The developmental pathway of lymphoid dendritic cells from myeloid progenitors is traced in mice Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

A Contemporary Microbially Maintained Subglacial Ferrous "Ocean"

Jill A. Mikucki, Ann Pearson, David T. Johnston, Alexandra V. Turchyn, James Farquhar, Daniel P. Schrag, Ariel D. Anbar, John C. Priscu, and Peter A. Lee
Science 17 April 2009: 397-400.
Coupled iron-sulfur metabolism has allowed a microbial community to persist for millions of years beneath the Antarctic ice. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Recursive Processes in Self-Affirmation: Intervening to Close the Minority Achievement Gap

Geoffrey L. Cohen, Julio Garcia, Valerie Purdie-Vaughns, Nancy Apfel, and Patricia Brzustoski
Science 17 April 2009: 400-403.
Reflecting upon and writing down one's set of important values may buffer against recursive negative thoughts. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Mirror Neurons Differentially Encode the Peripersonal and Extrapersonal Space of Monkeys

Vittorio Caggiano, Leonardo Fogassi, Giacomo Rizzolatti, Peter Thier, and Antonino Casile
Science 17 April 2009: 403-406.
The spatial selectivity of mirror neurons suggests that their role goes beyond understanding actions and extends to generating responses. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

DNA Binding Site Sequence Directs Glucocorticoid Receptor Structure and Activity

Sebastiaan H. Meijsing, Miles A. Pufall, Alex Y. So, Darren L. Bates, Lin Chen, and Keith R. Yamamoto
Science 17 April 2009: 407-410.
DNA is a sequence-specific ligand for the glucocorticoid receptor that allosterically modulates this transcription factor's activity. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Technical Comments

Comment on "Atmospheric Hydroxyl Radical Production from Electronically Excited NO₂ and H₂O"

Scott Carr, Dwayne E. Heard, and Mark A. Blitz
Science 17 April 2009: 336.
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Response to Comment on "Atmospheric Hydroxyl Radical Production from Electronically Excited NO₂ and H₂O"

Shuping Li, Jamie Matthews, and Amitabha Sinha
Science 17 April 2009: 336.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|