http://www.sciencemag.org The best in science news, commentary, and research American Association for the Advancement of Science Stewart Wills (mailto:swills@aaas.org) Copyright 2009 American Association for the Advancement of Science 2009-07-02T13:05:10-05:00 en http://www.sciencemag.org/icons/banner/title.gif http://www.sciencemag.org http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol325/issue5936/twis.dtl?rss=1 Bringing Back the Large Blue | Did I Really Do That? | El Niño's Cousin | Card Sorting Monkeys | Phoenix Ascending | A Hole New Approach | Adaptable DNA Analogs | Breaking the Barrier | Biogenic Amine Receptors | Idolizing Cholesterol Control | Modulating Visual Memory | Modifying the Modifier | Putting the Sugar on Polycomb http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol325/issue5936/twil.dtl?rss=1 Evolution: Unable to Diversify | Geochemistry: Guiding Mercury's Meandering | Molecular Biology: Liverish Days and Nights | Immunology: Maintaining Diversity | Applied Physics: Half Metal, Full Spin | Geochemistry: Well-Aged Granite | Biophysics: Tissue-Engineering Principals http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol325/issue5936/r-samples.dtl?rss=1 Ancient Granaries | Master of Nanotechnology | Look Out for Flashers | Plum Internship http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/11?rss=1 Author: Thomas R. Pickering Thomas R. Pickering http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/16?rss=1 Its praises have been sung as an energy security bill and a jobs bill. But the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed last Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives is in fact milestone greenhouse legislation.<br><br>Author: Richard A. Kerr Richard A. Kerr http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/17?rss=1 Two groups have infected ferrets with the new pandemic A(H1N1) influenza strain, and their papers, published online by <i>Science</i> this week, confirm that the new virus is a bit more pathogenic than seasonal influenza but nowhere near as dangerous as the 1918 pandemic virus or H5N1 avian influenza.<br><br>Author: Martin Enserink Martin Enserink http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/18?rss=1 A coalition of U.S. scientific societies and university organizations is urging Congress not to expand a $2.3 billion research program for small businesses. To succeed, however, the coalition must overcome one of the most influential interest groups in Washington and mend fences with legislators still smarting from a recent tweak to the program.<br><br>Author: Jeffrey Mervis Jeffrey Mervis http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/19-a?rss=1 Proposed salary cuts and/or furloughs for all faculty and staff members are causing consternation at the University of California, one of the nation's largest public universities, with approximately 170,000 employees.<br><br>Author: Greg Miller Greg Miller http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/19-b?rss=1 Highlights from <i>Science</i>'s online daily news site, <i>Science</i>NOW, this week include a device that lets researchers record brain activity while homing pigeons fly, more evidence of liquid water on Saturn's moon Enceladus, faster evolution in the tropics, and the oldest musical instruments ever found. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/20-a?rss=1 The usually low-key competition for the nearly $2 billion contract to provide logistical support for the National Science Foundation's $300-million-a-year Antarctic research program is heating up this year, with bidders running ads in cars and stations in the Washington, D.C., Metro system.<br><br>Author: Jeffrey Mervis Jeffrey Mervis http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/20-b?rss=1 A House spending panel has rejected a comprehensive $115 million science education initiative from the Department of Energy (DOE) to train a new cadre of scientists pursuing basic and applied research on clean energy.<br><br>Author: Jeffrey Mervis Jeffrey Mervis http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/21-a?rss=1 Local officials are betting that biotech will help wean Guangdong Province off its heavy dependence on cheap exports.<br><br>Author: Richard Stone Richard Stone http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/21-b?rss=1 <i>Science</i>Insider this week reported on the passage of annual spending bills for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's call for cities and states to start planning a massive vaccination campaign against swine flu, among other stories. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/22-a?rss=1 Archaeologists hope to penetrate lingering puzzles about the Qin Dynasty in a new excavation at Emperor Qin Shihuang's tombs, where life-size terra-cotta soldiers and horses were discovered 35 years ago.<br><br>Author: Richard Stone Richard Stone http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/22-b?rss=1 Last week, work commenced on a new excavation here in the cave-riddled hills of Zhoukoudian, 50 kilometers southwest of Beijing, where early last century scientists discovered Peking Man: a trove of <i>Homo erectus</i> fossils as well as rudimentary tools and the bones of woolly rhinos and other Ice Age fauna.<br><br>Author: Richard Stone Richard Stone http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/24?rss=1 What did the first neurons and nervous systems look like, and what advantages did they confer on the animals that possessed them? In the seventh essay in <i>Science</i>'s series in honor of the Year of Darwin, Greg Miller discusses some tantalizing clues that scientists have recently gained about the evolutionary origins of nervous systems.<br><br>Author: Greg Miller Greg Miller http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/27?rss=1 Twins researcher Thomas Bouchard spoke with <i>Science</i> at the Behavior Genetics Association meeting last month; his comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.<br><br>Author: Constance Holden Constance Holden http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/28?rss=1 A Senate investigation is forcing federally funded medical institutions to reveal exactly how much money their researchers receive from industry.<br><br>Author: Jocelyn Kaiser Jocelyn Kaiser http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/30?rss=1 <i>Science</i> has compiled a table of cases made public by Senator Charles Grassley (R–IA) involving NIH-funded researchers—all psychiatrists, many of whom allegedly received consulting income from companies whose drugs they were studying.<br><br>Author: Jocelyn Kaiser Jocelyn Kaiser http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/31?rss=1 With hundreds of thousands of collected specimens unidentified and many more undiscovered, China hopes to prop up its taxonomists before vital skills slip away.<br><br>Author: Li Jiao Li Jiao http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/32-a?rss=1 <br><br>Authors: Charles Forsberg, Mujid Kazimi Charles Forsberg http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/32-b?rss=1 <br><br>Authors: Daniel N. Baker, Thomas H. Zurbuchen Daniel N. Baker http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/33?rss=1 <br><br>Authors: Linda Y. Rutledge, Paul J. Wilson, Christopher J. Kyle, Tyler J. Wheeldon, Brent R. Patterson, Bradley N. White Linda Y. Rutledge http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/34?rss=1 <br><br>Authors: Gregory S. Barsh, Tovi M. Anderson, Bridgett M. Vonholdt, Sophie I. Candille, Marco Musiani, Daniel R. Stahler, Jennifer A. Leonard, Badri Padhukasahasram, Ettore Randi, Carlos D. Bustamante, Elaine A. Ostrander, Hua Tang, Robert K. Wayne Gregory S. Barsh http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/35?rss=1 The contributors explore such issues as the nature of species, how species are counted, limits on diversity, mechanisms of speciation and adaptation, and speciation rates.<br><br>Author: Anne E. Magurran Anne E. Magurran http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/36?rss=1 An expansion and update of Taylor and Taylor's classic 1993 book, this lavishly illustrated volume offers a comprehensive survey of fossil plants and fungi.<br><br>Author: Jonathan P. Wilson Jonathan P. Wilson http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/37-a?rss=1 Coles's overview of the 2009 Biennale samples a few of the thousands of artworks on display in Venice until mid-November.<br><br>Author: Harriet Coles Harriet Coles http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/37-b?rss=1 A <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/data/books/brl5936.dtl">listing of books received</a> at <i>Science</i> during the week ended 26 June 2009. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/38?rss=1 New regulations on disclosure, authority, and responsibility would shape how genetic ancestry tests are used.<br><br>Authors: Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Deborah A. Bolnick, Troy Duster, Pilar Ossorio, Kimberly TallBear Sandra Soo-Jin Lee http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/40?rss=1 The mammalian brain may be organized in terms of multipurpose representations rather than psychologically defined modules.<br><br>Author: Lisa M. Saksida Lisa M. Saksida http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/41?rss=1 Understanding of ecosystem interactions and management has led to a major advance in the conservation of specialized insects.<br><br>Authors: Josef Settele, Elisabeth Kühn Josef Settele http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/42?rss=1 Quantum states of positive charge carriers may be more stable to information loss than those of electron-based systems.<br><br>Authors: Michael H. Kolodrubetz, Jason R. Petta Michael H. Kolodrubetz http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/44?rss=1 Isotope studies are providing clues to how Earth assembled and how its core formed.<br><br>Authors: Alex N. Halliday, Bernard J. Wood Alex N. Halliday http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/45?rss=1 A sugar molecule plays an unexpected role in controlling gene silencing by modifying repressor proteins.<br><br>Author: Jeffrey A. Simon Jeffrey A. Simon http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/47?rss=1 Insights into El Niño's spatial structure may help to predict its effect on Atlantic tropical cyclones.<br><br>Author: Greg J. Holland Greg J. Holland http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/48?rss=1 <br><br>Author: Daniel M. Wegner Daniel M. Wegner http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/51?rss=1 Fruit-eating birds inhibit seed predation by beetles, a mechanism that is destabilized when disturbance opens the forest canopy.<br><br>Authors: Gregory J. Sharam, A. R. E. Sinclair, Roy Turkington Gregory J. Sharam http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/52?rss=1 A card-sorting task shows that three distinct regions of the monkey prefrontal cortex perform distinct cognitive functions.<br><br>Authors: Mark J. Buckley, Farshad A. Mansouri, Hassan Hoda, Majid Mahboubi, Philip G. F. Browning, Sze C. Kwok, Adam Phillips, Keiji Tanaka Mark J. Buckley http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/58?rss=1 A water ice layer was found 5 to 15 cm beneath the soil of the north polar region of Mars.<br><br>Authors: P. H. Smith, L. K. Tamppari, R. E. Arvidson, D. Bass, D. Blaney, W. V. Boynton, A. Carswell, D. C. Catling, B. C. Clark, T. Duck, E. DeJong, D. Fisher, W. Goetz, H. P. Gunnlaugsson, M. H. Hecht, V. Hipkin, J. Hoffman, S. F. Hviid, H. U. Keller, S. P. Kounaves, C. F. Lange, M. T. Lemmon, M. B. Madsen, W. J. Markiewicz, J. Marshall, C. P. McKay, M. T. Mellon, D. W. Ming, R. V. Morris, W. T. Pike, N. Renno, U. Staufer, C. Stoker, P. Taylor, J. A. Whiteway, A. P. Zent P. H. Smith http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/61?rss=1 The action of liquid water may have helped to form the calcium carbonate found in the soils around the Phoenix landing site.<br><br>Authors: W. V. Boynton, D. W. Ming, S. P. Kounaves, S. M. M. Young, R. E. Arvidson, M. H. Hecht, J. Hoffman, P. B. Niles, D. K. Hamara, R. C. Quinn, P. H. Smith, B. Sutter, D. C. Catling, R. V. Morris W. V. Boynton http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/64?rss=1 Most of the chlorine at the Phoenix landing site is in the form of perchlorate, a salt that is highly soluble in water.<br><br>Authors: M. H. Hecht, S. P. Kounaves, R. C. Quinn, S. J. West, S. M. M. Young, D. W. Ming, D. C. Catling, B. C. Clark, W. V. Boynton, J. Hoffman, L. P. DeFlores, K. Gospodinova, J. Kapit, P. H. Smith M. H. Hecht http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/68?rss=1 Laser remote sensing from Mars’ surface revealed water-ice clouds that formed during the day and precipitated at night.<br><br>Authors: J. A. Whiteway, L. Komguem, C. Dickinson, C. Cook, M. Illnicki, J. Seabrook, V. Popovici, T. J. Duck, R. Davy, P. A. Taylor, J. Pathak, D. Fisher, A. I. Carswell, M. Daly, V. Hipkin, A. P. Zent, M. H. Hecht, S. E. Wood, L. K. Tamppari, N. Renno, J. E. Moores, M. T. Lemmon, F. Daerden, P. H. Smith J. A. Whiteway http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/70?rss=1 Manipulating holes instead of electrons results in the enhancement of the coherence properties of quantum dots.<br><br>Authors: Daniel Brunner, Brian D. Gerardot, Paul A. Dalgarno, Gunter Wüst, Khaled Karrai, Nick G. Stoltz, Pierre M. Petroff, Richard J. Warburton Daniel Brunner http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/73?rss=1 A synthetic DNA analog can dynamically adapt its sequence in response to changing templates.<br><br>Authors: Yasuyuki Ura, John M. Beierle, Luke J. Leman, Leslie E. Orgel, M. Reza Ghadiri Yasuyuki Ura http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/77?rss=1 Warming of the Central Pacific sea surface causes different patterns of atmospheric circulation than do El Niño events.<br><br>Authors: Hye-Mi Kim, Peter J. Webster,, Judith A. Curry Hye-Mi Kim http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/80?rss=1 Prediction of population dynamics in relation to habitat requirements has led to a conservation success in the UK.<br><br>Authors: J. A. Thomas, D. J. Simcox, R. T. Clarke J. A. Thomas http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/83?rss=1 Adhesion of bacteria to cells lining blood vessels in the brain induces them to part and allows pathogen invasion.<br><br>Authors: Mathieu Coureuil, Guillain Mikaty, Florence Miller, Hervé Lécuyer, Christine Bernard, Sandrine Bourdoulous, Guillaume Duménil, René-Marc Mège, Babette B. Weksler, Ignacio A. Romero, Pierre-Olivier Couraud, Xavier Nassif Mathieu Coureuil http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/87?rss=1 Experiments reveal the localization of short- and long-term visual memory encoding in the rat visual cortex.<br><br>Authors: Manuel F. López-Aranda, Juan F. López-Téllez, Irene Navarro-Lobato, Mariam Masmudi-Martín, Antonia Gutiérrez, Zafar U. Khan Manuel F. López-Aranda http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/90?rss=1 An oxygenase with an important role in vertebrate development hydroxylates a messenger RNA splicing factor.<br><br>Authors: Celia J. Webby, Alexander Wolf, Natalia Gromak, Mathias Dreger, Holger Kramer, Benedikt Kessler, Michael L. Nielsen, Corinna Schmitz, Danica S. Butler, John R. Yates III, Claire M. Delahunty, Phillip Hahn, Andreas Lengeling, Matthias Mann, Nicholas J. Proudfoot, Christopher J. Schofield, Angelika Böttger Celia J. Webby http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/93?rss=1 The Polycomb-group protein super sex combs acts to glycosylate a second Polycomb repressor protein.<br><br>Authors: Maria Cristina Gambetta, Katarzyna Oktaba, Jürg Müller Maria Cristina Gambetta http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/96?rss=1 An expanded family of receptor channels that bind neurotransmitters in worms might help to explain behavioral effects in humans.<br><br>Authors: Niels Ringstad, Namiko Abe, H. Robert Horvitz Niels Ringstad http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/100?rss=1 Cholesterol metabolism is regulated by a signaling pathway that targets the LDL receptor for degradation.<br><br>Authors: Noam Zelcer, Cynthia Hong, Rima Boyadjian, Peter Tontonoz Noam Zelcer http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/105-a?rss=1 A weekly roundup of information on newly offered instrumentation, apparatus, and laboratory materials of potential interest to researchers. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5936/105-b?rss=1 The show includes evidence of water at the Mars Phoenix landing site, how Serengeti birds maintain forests, the origins of nervous systems, and more.