Editorials

The other North American election p263

As Canadian scientists work to maintain their international reputation, a little encouragement from the election candidates would be appreciated.

doi:10.1038/455263a

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Handle with care p263

Ecologists must research how best to intervene in and preserve ecosystems.

doi:10.1038/455263b

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Virtues of visualization p264

Mapping techniques, used with care, can offer fresh insights into data about the world around us.

doi:10.1038/455264a

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Research Highlights

Active aphids p266

doi:10.1038/455266a

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Biochemistry: Protecting the heart p266

doi:10.1038/455266b

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Astronomy: Fossils on Titan p266

doi:10.1038/455266c

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Conservation: Homes on the range p266

doi:10.1038/455266d

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Evolution: Sexy and doomed p266

doi:10.1038/455266e

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Neurology: Dopamine link to fragile X p266

doi:10.1038/455266f

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Chemistry: Ro-taxing synthesis p267

doi:10.1038/455267a

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Evolutionary biology: Eggs in many baskets p267

doi:10.1038/455267b

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Fluid dynamics: Making water wander p267

doi:10.1038/455267c

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Atmospheric chemistry: Glasses in the sky p267

doi:10.1038/455267d

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Journal Club

Journal club p267

Nicola Hamilton & David Attwell

doi:10.1038/455267e

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News

Green issues dominate election p268

Climate change is high on Canadian agenda.

Nicola Jones

doi:10.1038/455268a

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Iran holds AIDS doctors p269

Scientists in call for release of HIV researchers.

Declan Butler

doi:10.1038/455269a

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Japan fast-tracks stem-cell patent p269

Kyoto University secures first award for induced pluripotent cells.

David Cyranoski

doi:10.1038/455269b

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Swollen with success p270

For a different perspective on the 2008 indicators from the US National Science Foundation, take a look at Nature's cartograms.

Declan Butler

doi:10.1038/455270a

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Data on display p273

Two researchers explain why they're posting their experimental results online.

Katherine Sanderson

doi:10.1038/455273a

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Innovative ideas p273

In the third of our election-themed podcasts available online, Nature looks at where US innovation policy might go under a new president.

doi:10.1038/455273b

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A longer paper gathers more citations p274

Brevity is not the secret to scientific success.

Philip Ball

doi:10.1038/455274a

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Gene chips unmask cryptic diseases p274

Microarrays zero in on small DNA defects.

Erika Check Hayden

doi:10.1038/455274b

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Snapshot: Long-lost antcestor p275

Meet the ant from Mars.

Amber Dance

doi:10.1038/455275a

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Virgo's vacuum failure stalls gravity-wave hunt p276

doi:10.1038/455276a

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Fossil hunter accused of stealing dinosaur p276

doi:10.1038/455276b

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Blandford to lead next decadal astronomy survey p276

doi:10.1038/455276c

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US health agency gets creative with grants p276

doi:10.1038/455276d

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Court fines entomologists for illegal collecting in India p276

doi:10.1038/455276e

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Bisphenol A exposure may pose disease risk p276

doi:10.1038/455276f

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News Features

Ecology: The heart of the wood p277

Bialowieza is one of the best-preserved woodlands in Europe. But is it a good reference point for what Europe looked like 5,000 years ago? Emma Marris goes deep into the forest to find out.

doi:10.1038/455277a

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Biological theory: Postmodern evolution? p281

This summer a group of high-profile researchers met in Altenberg, Austria, to try and plot the future course of evolutionary theory. John Whitfield was there.

doi:10.1038/455281a

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Correspondence

More ground work needed to prepare students for PhDs p285

Cristina Banks-Leite

doi:10.1038/455285a

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Talking about the creative use of enhancements p285

Jennifer Manning

doi:10.1038/455285b

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European grants: a different view puts rich countries ahead p285

Bob O'Hara

doi:10.1038/455285c

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European grants: a lifeline in poorly funded countries p285

Mike Fainzilber

doi:10.1038/455285d

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Books and Arts

Time to can the tuna fisheries? p286

A tale of the endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna reveals how overfishing and unreported catches threaten to wipe out this majestic predator. But it stops short of offering original solutions, explains Geoff Arnold.

Geoff Arnold reviews Tuna: A Love Story by Richard Ellis

doi:10.1038/455286a

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Ocean exhibit makes waves p287

Amber Dance reviews The Sant Ocean Hall

doi:10.1038/455287a

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Stages of uncertainty p288

Kirsten E. Shepherd-Barr reviews Stage Directions: Writing on Theatre 1970–2008 by Michael Frayn

doi:10.1038/455288a

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Saving plastics for posterity p288

Susan Mossman reviews Conservation of Plastics: Materials Science, Degradation and Preservation by Yvonne Shashoua

doi:10.1038/455288b

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Robots refined p289

Daniel Cressey

doi:10.1038/455289a

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Essay

Meetings that changed the world: Asilomar 1975: DNA modification secured p290

The California meeting set standards allowing geneticists to push research to its limits without endangering public health. Organizer Paul Berg asks if another such meeting could resolve today's controversies.

Paul Berg

doi:10.1038/455290a

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News and Views

Cancer: Hedgehog's other great trick p293

The poet Archilochus wrote "The fox has many tricks, and the hedgehog one great one". Yet a signalling-pathway namesake of hedgehog may have two great tricks that could be exploited for cancer therapy.

Tom Curran & Jessica M. Y. Ng

doi:10.1038/455293a

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Astrophysics: Heartbeat of an active galaxy p294

Active galaxies are thought to be the supermassive cousins of binary systems in our Galaxy that contain black holes. Observations of an unusual active galaxy provide compelling evidence that these systems are indeed related.

Phil Uttley

doi:10.1038/455294a

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Developmental neuroscience: Hox and Fox p295

A network of Hox factors specifies the identity of motor neurons in the spinal cord. Studies of an essential Fox-class accessory factor illuminate the developmental and evolutionary subtlety of the process.

Samuel L. Pfaff

doi:10.1038/455295a

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Photonics: Illumination for atomic movies p297

Free-electron lasers could produce X-rays intense enough to make atomic-resolution movies. Initial designs are kilometres long, but a prototype working in the ultraviolet points a way to shorter machines.

Claudio Pellegrini

doi:10.1038/455297a

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Climate science: A bright side of precipitation p298

Tim Lincoln

doi:10.1038/455298a

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Optics: Farewell to Flatland p299

Metamaterials are the key to perfect lenses, 'invisibility' cloaks and slow and stored broadband light. A three-dimensional optical metamaterial with a negative refractive index has now been created.

Ortwin Hess

doi:10.1038/455299a

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50 & 100 Years Ago p299

doi:10.1038/455299b

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Biochemistry: Divergence from the superfamily p300

The unique structure of an enzyme that synthesizes lipid mediators in plants defines its function and serves as a characteristic footprint in genomes of plants and some animals.

Lawrence J. Marnett

doi:10.1038/455300a

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Articles

An intrinsic mechanism of corticogenesis from embryonic stem cells p351

Nicolas Gaspard, Tristan Bouschet, Raphael Hourez, Jordane Dimidschstein, Gilles Naeije, Jelle van den Ameele, Ira Espuny-Camacho, Adèle Herpoel, Lara Passante, Serge N. Schiffmann, Afsaneh Gaillard & Pierre Vanderhaeghen

doi:10.1038/nature07287

Abstract | Full Text | PDF (1,671K) | Supplementary information

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Structural basis for specific cleavage of Lys 63-linked polyubiquitin chains p358

Yusuke Sato, Azusa Yoshikawa, Atsushi Yamagata, Hisatoshi Mimura, Masami Yamashita, Kayoko Ookata, Osamu Nureki, Kazuhiro Iwai, Masayuki Komada & Shuya Fukai

doi:10.1038/nature07254

• PDB code

  • 2ZNR
  • 2ZNV

• 3D view

  • 2ZNR
  • 2ZNV

Abstract | Full Text | PDF (860K) | Supplementary information

See also: Editor's summary

Structural insights into the evolutionary paths of oxylipin biosynthetic enzymes p363

Dong-Sun Lee, Pierre Nioche, Mats Hamberg & C. S. Raman

doi:10.1038/nature07307

• PDB code

  • 3CLI
  • 3DSI
  • 2RCH
  • 2RCL
  • 2RCM
  • 3DSJ
  • 3DSK

• 3D view

  • 3CLI
  • 3DSI
  • 2RCH
  • 2RCL
  • 2RCM
  • 3DSJ
  • 3DSK

Abstract | Full Text | PDF (647K) | Supplementary information

See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Marnett

Letters

A periodicity of 1 hour in X-ray emission from the active galaxy RE J1034+396 p369

Marek Gierliski, Matthew Middleton, Martin Ward & Chris Done

doi:10.1038/nature07277

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (324K)

See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Uttley

Unusual magnetic order in the pseudogap region of the superconductor HgBa₂CuO₄₊ p372

Y. Li, V. Balédent, N. Barii, Y. Cho, B. Fauqué, Y. Sidis, G. Yu, X. Zhao, P. Bourges & M. Greven

doi:10.1038/nature07251

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (414K) | Supplementary information

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Three-dimensional optical metamaterial with a negative refractive index p376

Jason Valentine, Shuang Zhang, Thomas Zentgraf, Erick Ulin-Avila, Dentcho A. Genov, Guy Bartal & Xiang Zhang

doi:10.1038/nature07247

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (753K) | Supplementary information

See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Hess

Chiral colloidal clusters p380

D. Zerrouki, J. Baudry, D. Pine, P. Chaikin & J. Bibette

doi:10.1038/nature07237

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (358K) | Supplementary information

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Prolonged suppression of ecosystem carbon dioxide uptake after an anomalously warm year p383

John A. Arnone III, Paul S. J. Verburg, Dale W. Johnson, Jessica D. Larsen, Richard L. Jasoni, Annmarie J. Lucchesi, Candace M. Batts, Christopher von Nagy, William G. Coulombe, David E. Schorran, Paul E. Buck, Bobby H. Braswell, James S. Coleman, Rebecca A. Sherry, Linda L. Wallace, Yiqi Luo & David S. Schimel

doi:10.1038/nature07296

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (562K) | Supplementary information

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Counterintuitive carbon-to-nutrient coupling in an Arctic pelagic ecosystem p387

T. F. Thingstad, R. G. J. Bellerby, G. Bratbak, K. Y. Børsheim, J. K. Egge, M. Heldal, A. Larsen, C. Neill, J. Nejstgaard, S. Norland, R.-A. Sandaa, E. F. Skjoldal, T. Tanaka, R. Thyrhaug & B. Töpper

doi:10.1038/nature07235

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (407K) | Supplementary information

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Platelet-derived growth factor- receptor activation is required for human cytomegalovirus infection p391

Liliana Soroceanu, Armin Akhavan & Charles S. Cobbs

doi:10.1038/nature07209

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (894K) | Supplementary information

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Autophagy in thymic epithelium shapes the T-cell repertoire and is essential for tolerance p396

Jelena Nedjic, Martin Aichinger, Jan Emmerich, Noboru Mizushima & Ludger Klein

doi:10.1038/nature07208

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (633K) | Supplementary information

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Regulatory networks define phenotypic classes of human stem cell lines p401

Franz-Josef Müller, Louise C. Laurent, Dennis Kostka, Igor Ulitsky, Roy Williams, Christina Lu, In-Hyun Park, Mahendra S. Rao, Ron Shamir, Philip H. Schwartz, Nils O. Schmidt & Jeanne F. Loring

doi:10.1038/nature07213

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A paracrine requirement for hedgehog signalling in cancer p406

Robert L. Yauch, Stephen E. Gould, Suzie J. Scales, Tracy Tang, Hua Tian, Christina P. Ahn, Derek Marshall, Ling Fu, Thomas Januario, Dara Kallop, Michelle Nannini-Pepe, Karen Kotkow, James C. Marsters, Lee L. Rubin & Frederic J. de Sauvage

doi:10.1038/nature07275

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (534K) | Supplementary information

See also: Editor's summary | News and Views by Curran & Ng

S-nitrosylation of histone deacetylase 2 induces chromatin remodelling in neurons p411

Alexi Nott, P. Marc Watson, James D. Robinson, Luca Crepaldi & Antonella Riccio

doi:10.1038/nature07238

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (475K) | Supplementary information

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Structure of the 30S translation initiation complex p416

Angelita Simonetti, Stefano Marzi, Alexander G. Myasnikov, Attilio Fabbretti, Marat Yusupov, Claudio O. Gualerzi & Bruno P. Klaholz

doi:10.1038/nature07192

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (715K) | Supplementary information

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Prolyl 4-hydroxylation regulates Argonaute 2 stability p421

Hank H. Qi, Pat P. Ongusaha, Johanna Myllyharju, Dongmei Cheng, Outi Pakkanen, Yujiang Shi, Sam W. Lee, Junmin Peng & Yang Shi

doi:10.1038/nature07186

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (1,009K) | Supplementary information

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Naturejobs

Prospects p425

Postdocs need to defy obstacles and find ways to unite.

Gene Russo

doi:10.1038/nj7211-425a

Full Text | PDF (141K)

Strength in bonding p426

Postdocs are attempting to organize and improve their lot worldwide — but results have been mixed. Paul Smaglik reports.

Paul Smaglik

doi:10.1038/nj7211-426a

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Futures

The chess players p430

An unusual move.

Dan Gollub

doi:10.1038/455430a

Full Text | PDF (79K)