This Week in Science

Editor summaries of this week's papers.
Science 17 July 2009: 242.
|Full Text »

Editorial:
Earth System Research Priorities

Walter V. Reid, Catherine Bréchignac, and Yuan Tseh Lee
Science 17 July 2009: 245.
Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Editors' Choice

Highlights of the recent literature.
Science 17 July 2009: 246.
|Full Text »

Science Podcast

Science 17 July 2009: 344.
The show includes the dynamics of rotavirus epidemics, how tiger moths jam bat sonar, a look at NIH's new director, and more. Summary »|   Full Text »|   Transcript »|  

New Products

Science 17 July 2009: 344.
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

Nominations
White House Taps Former Genome Chief Francis Collins as NIH Director

Jocelyn Kaiser
Science 17 July 2009: 250-251.
President Barack Obama's announcement last week that he had chosen Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health ended months of speculation and ignited a volley of flattering remarks from researchers and biomedical groups. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Podcast Interview »|  

Nominations
Questions About the Language of God

Jocelyn Kaiser
Science 17 July 2009: 250.
Although many scientists say geneticist Francis Collins will make a superb director of the National Institutes of Health, a discussion about whether Collins's very public religious views will influence his leadership of NIH has been playing out on blogs. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Obama Nominee
Geophysicist McNutt Named to Lead U.S. Geological Survey

Richard A. Kerr
Science 17 July 2009: 251.
Marcia McNutt, president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, was nominated last week to be the next director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Ancient DNA
Sequencing Neandertal Mitochondrial Genomes by the Half-Dozen

Elizabeth Pennisi
Science 17 July 2009: 252.
On page 318 of this week's issue of Science, researchers describe a new technique to decipher the entire mitochondrial genomes from five Neandertals. These genomes show relatively little genetic diversity among Neandertals scattered across Europe and Russia. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

India
Lunar Survey Spacecraft Develops an Attitude Problem

Pallava Bagla
Science 17 July 2009: 253.
India's first moon probe, Chandrayaan-1, has suffered a critical malfunction that jeopardizes the remainder of the mission. The spacecraft, which entered lunar orbit last November, can no longer orient itself with high precision. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceNOW.org
From Science's Online Daily News Site

Science 17 July 2009: 253.
Science's online daily news site, ScienceNOW, this week exonerated birds as the source of the 1918 flu pandemic, showed how cats manipulate their owners and swearing eases pain, and described flexible fibers that act like cameras, among other stories. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Archaeology
Roundup of Utah Collectors Stirs a Debate on Enforcement

Keith Kloor
Science 17 July 2009: 254-255.
Last month, 16 residents of Blanding, Utah, were arrested and accused of stealing prehistoric Indian artifacts from public and tribal lands, the culmination of a 2.5-year-old undercover investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of the Interior that netted 24 alleged looters in the archaeology-rich Four Corners region. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

ScienceInsider
From the Science Policy Blog

Science 17 July 2009: 255.
ScienceInsider this week reported on congressional appropriators' approval of nearly all of the president's $4.94 billion request for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, as well as their skepticism about Energy Secretary Steven Chu's plan to fund eight large energy research centers, and other stories. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Random Samples

Science 17 July 2009: 249.
|Full Text »

News Focus

Insulin Resistance
Prosperity's Plague

Gary Taubes
Science 17 July 2009: 256-260.
Researchers have linked a growing number of chronic diseases to the metabolic disorder known as insulin resistance; two general theories have emerged about its mechanism. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

U.S. Space Program
Can Bolden Banish NASA Blues?

Andrew Lawler
Science 17 July 2009: 261.
Obama's nominee for NASA administrator is trying to rally public support on the eve of the moon landing anniversary as an expert panel and Congress worry that NASA has lost its way. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Solar System Evolution
Shifting Orbits Gave Solar System A Big Shakeup, Model Suggests

Richard A. Kerr
Science 17 July 2009: 262-263.
Dynamicists simulating the solar system's early days are finding that a violent reshuffling of bodies large and small may explain many of today's planetary mysteries. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Letters

 Making the Most of Online Collaboration

Justin Chakma and Betty Pang
Science 17 July 2009: 265.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Cognitive Aging Data Will Take Time

K. Brad Wray
Science 17 July 2009: 265.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Response—Cognitive Aging Data Will Take Time

Patricia M. Greenfield
Science 17 July 2009: 265-266.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Open Access: Increased Citations Not Guaranteed

Philip M. Davis
Science 17 July 2009: 266.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Open Access: The Self-Selection Effect

Alfred N. Burdett
Science 17 July 2009: 266.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Open Access: The Sooner the Better

Michael Eisen and Steven Salzberg
Science 17 July 2009: 266.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Open Access: The Sooner the Better

Bruce Alberts
Science 17 July 2009: 266.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Response—Open Access

James A. Evans
Science 17 July 2009: 266-267.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

 Corrections and Clarifications

Science 17 July 2009: 267.
Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books et al.

Development
The Flexible Organism

David W. Pfennig and Cris Ledón-Rettig
Science 17 July 2009: 268-269.
Gilbert and Epel focus on embryonic and larval development of metazoans to explore where "embryology meets the real world." Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Physics
Entanglement with a Twist

Jonathan P. Dowling
Science 17 July 2009: 269.
Weaving her narrative around a series of imagined face-to-face dialogues, Gilder offers an account of the development of quantum physics that pays particular attention to developments through the second half of the 20th century. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Books Received

Science 17 July 2009: 269.
A listing of books received at Science during the week ended 10 July 2009. Summary »|  

Policy Forum

Energy
Beneficial Biofuels—The Food, Energy, and Environment Trilemma

David Tilman, Robert Socolow, Jonathan A. Foley, Jason Hill, Eric Larson, Lee Lynd, Stephen Pacala, John Reilly, Tim Searchinger, Chris Somerville, and Robert Williams
Science 17 July 2009: 270-271.
Exploiting multiple feedstocks, under new policies and accounting rules, to balance biofuel production, food security, and greenhouse-gas reduction. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Perspectives

Molecular Biology
Neutralizing Toxic RNA

Thomas A. Cooper
Science 17 July 2009: 272-273.
Oligonucleotides that target aggregates of RNA and protein show potential for treating myotonic dystrophy. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Climate Change
What Drives Climate Flip-Flops?

Axel Timmermann and Laurie Menviel
Science 17 July 2009: 273-274.
A numerical modeling study questions the validity of a key paradigm in rapid climate change studies. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Epidemiology
Does Viral Diversity Matter?

Graham F. Medley and D. James Nokes
Science 17 July 2009: 274-275.
Detailed analyses of population demographics and viral diversity should help predict the impact of childhood vaccination for endemic viruses such as rotavirus. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Physics
Is Quantum Theory Exact?

Stephen L. Adler and Angelo Bassi
Science 17 July 2009: 275-276.
Future experiments may tell us if quantum mechanics is an approximation to a deeper-level theory. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Computer Science
Toward a Smarter Web

Gregory S. Hornby and Tolga Kurtoglu
Science 17 July 2009: 277-278.
Interactive evolutionary algorithms are increasingly implemented in Web sites to respond to user preferences. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Physics
Edge-State Physics Without Magnetic Fields

Markus Büttiker
Science 17 July 2009: 278-279.
A novel class of materials called topological insulators allows spin physics to be probed without the need for magnetic fields. Summary »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Reviews

Dyslexia: A New Synergy Between Education and Cognitive Neuroscience

John D. E. Gabrieli
Science 17 July 2009: 280-283.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Foundations for a New Science of Learning

Andrew N. Meltzoff, Patricia K. Kuhl, Javier Movellan, and Terrence J. Sejnowski
Science 17 July 2009: 284-288.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Brevia

Modern Riding Style Improves Horse Racing Times

Thilo Pfau, Andrew Spence, Sandra Starke, Marta Ferrari, and Alan Wilson
Science 17 July 2009: 289.
Increased horse race speed over the past century can be attributed to the crouching posture and increased work done by jockeys. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Research Articles

Demographic Variability, Vaccination, and the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Rotavirus Epidemics

Virginia E. Pitzer, Cécile Viboud, Lone Simonsen, Claudia Steiner, Catherine A. Panozzo, Wladimir J. Alonso, Mark A. Miller, Roger I. Glass, John W. Glasser, Umesh D. Parashar, and Bryan T. Grenfell
Science 17 July 2009: 290-294.
Diarrhea-causing rotavirus epidemics can be predicted by shifts in birth rate rather than by seasonal variables. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Nonlocal Transport in the Quantum Spin Hall State

Andreas Roth, Christoph Brüne, Hartmut Buhmann, Laurens W. Molenkamp, Joseph Maciejko, Xiao-Liang Qi, and Shou-Cheng Zhang
Science 17 July 2009: 294-297.
A topological insulator exhibits current flow in edge states around the sample without the need for magnetic fields. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reports

Higher-Order Photon Bunching in a Semiconductor Microcavity

M. Aßmann, F. Veit, M. Bayer, M. van der Poel, and J. M. Hvam
Science 17 July 2009: 297-300.
The tendency for photons to bunch gets stronger as their number increases. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Band Formation from Coupled Quantum Dots Formed by a Nanoporous Network on a Copper Surface

Jorge Lobo-Checa, Manfred Matena, Kathrin Müller, Jan Hugo Dil, Fabian Meier, Lutz H. Gade, Thomas A. Jung, and Meike Stöhr
Science 17 July 2009: 300-303.
Trapped electronic states induced by a nanoporous overlayer create an artificial electronic band structure. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

CH Stretching Excitation in the Early Barrier F + CHD₃ Reaction Inhibits CH Bond Cleavage

Weiqing Zhang, Hiroshi Kawamata, and Kopin Liu
Science 17 July 2009: 303-306.
A molecular bond vibration unexpectedly inhibits, rather than promotes, cleavage of the carbon–hydrogen bond. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Deep-Sea Temperature and Ice Volume Changes Across the Pliocene-Pleistocene Climate Transitions

Sindia Sosdian and Yair Rosenthal
Science 17 July 2009: 306-310.
Increases in glacial ice volume and ice-sheet dynamics are implicated in two distinct climate cooling events. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Transient Simulation of Last Deglaciation with a New Mechanism for Bølling-Allerød Warming

Z. Liu, B. L. Otto-Bliesner, F. He, E. C. Brady, R. Tomas, P. U. Clark, A. E. Carlson, J. Lynch-Stieglitz, W. Curry, E. Brook, D. Erickson, R. Jacob, J. Kutzbach, and J. Cheng
Science 17 July 2009: 310-314.
A coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model simulates the warming of the last deglaciation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Undulatory Swimming in Sand: Subsurface Locomotion of the Sandfish Lizard

Ryan D. Maladen, Yang Ding, Chen Li, and Daniel I. Goldman
Science 17 July 2009: 314-318.
X-ray imaging reveals the undulatory motion of a sandfish lizard through a granular fluid. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Targeted Retrieval and Analysis of Five Neandertal mtDNA Genomes

Adrian W. Briggs, Jeffrey M. Good, Richard E. Green, Johannes Krause, Tomislav Maricic, Udo Stenzel, Carles Lalueza-Fox, Pavao Rudan, Dejana Brajkovic, Zeljko Kucan, Ivan Gusic, Ralf Schmitz, Vladimir B. Doronichev, Liubov V. Golovanova, Marco de la Rasilla, Javier Fortea, Antonio Rosas, and Svante Pääbo
Science 17 July 2009: 318-321.
Targeted sequencing improves Neandertal mitochondrial DNA retrieval and reveals low diversity among individuals. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

The Human SepSecS-tRNA^Sec Complex Reveals the Mechanism of Selenocysteine Formation

Sotiria Palioura, R. Lynn Sherrer, Thomas A. Steitz, Dieter Söll, and Miljan Simonovic
Science 17 July 2009: 321-325.
A crystal structure shows how a pyroxidal phosphate enzyme catalyzes the formation of selenocysteine from phosphoserine on transfer RNA. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Tiger Moth Jams Bat Sonar

Aaron J. Corcoran, Jesse R. Barber, and William E. Conner
Science 17 July 2009: 325-327.
Bertholdia trigona thwarts the attacks of bats by generating bursts of ultrasound that interfere with the bats’ sonar system. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  Podcast Interview »|  

Functional Amyloids As Natural Storage of Peptide Hormones in Pituitary Secretory Granules

Samir K. Maji, Marilyn H. Perrin, Michael R. Sawaya, Sebastian Jessberger, Krishna Vadodaria, Robert A. Rissman, Praful S. Singru, K. Peter R. Nilsson, Rozalyn Simon, David Schubert, David Eisenberg, Jean Rivier, Paul Sawchenko, Wylie Vale, and Roland Riek
Science 17 July 2009: 328-332.
Published online 18 June 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1173155] (in Science Express Reports)
Peptide and protein hormones are stored in secretory granules in a nonpathological amyloid conformation. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

RIP3, an Energy Metabolism Regulator That Switches TNF-Induced Cell Death from Apoptosis to Necrosis

Duan-Wu Zhang, Jing Shao, Juan Lin, Na Zhang, Bao-Ju Lu, Sheng-Cai Lin, Meng-Qiu Dong, and Jiahuai Han
Science 17 July 2009: 332-336.
Published online 4 June 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1172308] (in Science Express Reports)
The protein kinase RIP3 mediates necrotic cell death, likely through regulation of metabolic enzymes. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Reversal of RNA Dominance by Displacement of Protein Sequestered on Triplet Repeat RNA

Thurman M. Wheeler, Krzysztof Sobczak, John D. Lueck, Robert J. Osborne, Xiaoyan Lin, Robert T. Dirksen, and Charles A. Thornton
Science 17 July 2009: 336-339.
An antisense oligonucleotide ameliorates the symptoms of myotonic dystrophy in transgenic mice. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Genome-Wide RNAi Screen Identifies Genes Involved in Intestinal Pathogenic Bacterial Infection

Shane J. F. Cronin, Nadine T. Nehme, Stefanie Limmer, Samuel Liegeois, J. Andrew Pospisilik, Daniel Schramek, Andreas Leibbrandt, Ricardo de Matos Simoes, Susanne Gruber, Urszula Puc, Ingo Ebersberger, Tamara Zoranovic, G. Gregory Neely, Arndt von Haeseler, Dominique Ferrandon, and Josef M. Penninger
Science 17 July 2009: 340-343.
Published online 11 June 2009 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1173164] (in Science Express Reports)
In vivo RNA interference screen reveals regulators of innate immunity in Drosophila. Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|   Supporting Online Material »|  

Technical Comments

Comment on "Neodymium-142 Evidence for Hadean Mafic Crust"

Rasmus Andreasen and Mukul Sharma
Science 17 July 2009: 267.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|  

Response to Comment on "Neodymium-142 Evidence for Hadean Mafic Crust"

Jonathan O’Neil, Richard W. Carlson, Don Francis, and Ross K. Stevenson
Science 17 July 2009: 267.
Abstract »|   Full Text »|   PDF »|