Table of contents
Volume 421 Number 6925 pp769-873
Editorials
How to publish in Nature p769
Hopeful authors of research papers will help themselves by reading our new Guide to Authors before submission. This also highlights the need and opportunity to communicate more effectively with important non-specialist audiences.
doi:10.1038/421769a
In support of xeno-optimism p769
Despite recent gloom, there are worse things on which to spend personal wealth than a hunt for intelligent extraterrestrials.
doi:10.1038/421769b
Statement on the consideration of biodefence and biosecurity p771
As discussed in a Commentary by Tony Fauci on page 787, the threat of bioterrorism requires active consideration by scientists. On 9 January 2003, the US National Academy of Sciences held a discussion meeting on the balance between scientific openness and security (see Nature421, 197; 2003). The next day, a group of editors* met to discuss the issues with specific reference to the scientific publication process. The following statement has emerged from that meeting. The statement was conceived in a US context, but the principles discussed will be considered and followed through by Nature and its related journals in their international arenas.
doi:10.1038/nature01479
News
Error reports threaten to unravel databases of mitochondrial DNA p773
Carina Dennis
doi:10.1038/421773a
Nobel laureate slams misconduct smear p773
Quirin Schiermeier
doi:10.1038/421773b
Researchers fear the future as Congress settles 2003 budget p774
Hannah Hoag
doi:10.1038/421774a
Journals tighten up on biosecurity p774
Erika Check
doi:10.1038/421774b
Paper retracted as co-author admits forgery p775
David Adam
doi:10.1038/421775a
Ministers back gene-crop advisers p775
Declan Butler
doi:10.1038/421775b
Dolly's death leaves researchers woolly on clone ageing issue p776
Jim Giles and Jonathan Knight
doi:10.1038/421776a
Poor farmers warned against Internet transgenic crop deals p776
Rex Dalton
doi:10.1038/421776b
Cosmologists look forward to clearer picture p777
Tony Reichhardt
doi:10.1038/421777a
Windfall spurs rare Israeli–Palestinian research effort p777
David Adam
doi:10.1038/421777b
news feature
Complex systems: All together now p780
From wobbly bridges to new speech-recognition systems, the concept of synchrony seems to pervade our world. Steve Nadis reports on attempts to understand it, and the applications that may be on the horizon.
Steve Nadis
doi:10.1038/421780a
Materials science: To the heart of glass p783
How do you run an experiment that takes thousands of years? As scientists studying nuclear-waste disposal are finding out, the answer is to look back in time. Philip Ball reports.
Philip Ball
doi:10.1038/421783a
Correspondence
Scientific freedom: new strategies are needed p785
Threats to the flow of knowledge may come from small groups as well as governments.
Jane Lubchenco, (president), Thomas Rosswall, (executive director) and Peter Warren
doi:10.1038/421785a
Scientific freedom: some face a lonely dilemma p785
Roger Macy
doi:10.1038/421785b
Gene flow might turn wimps into superweeds p785
Norris Muth
doi:10.1038/421785c
Venezuelan government is backing science p786
Juan Luis Cabrera, Luis Emilio Guerrero and Arnaldo Donoso
doi:10.1038/421786a
Free access to publicly funded databases is vital p786
Philip E. Bourne
doi:10.1038/421786b
GreenSea's interest in fertilizing sea with iron p786
M. Lee Rice
doi:10.1038/421786c
Eastern Europe nurtures talent for the West p786
Juraj Gregan
doi:10.1038/421786d
Commentary
Biodefence on the research agenda p787
The world needs new and creative ways to counter bioterrorism.
doi:10.1038/nature01480
Book Reviews
Forever young p789
Progress in improving health in old age could let people live longer.
Linda Partridge reviews Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes That Prolong Youth by Lenny Guarente
doi:10.1038/421789a
Bonding the two cultures p790
John Emsley reviews The Art of Chemistry: Myths, Medicines and Materials by Arthur Greenberg
doi:10.1038/421790a
Base instincts p790
doi:10.1038/421790b
Soaking up the limelight p791
Lorraine Berry reviews Systema Porifera: A Guide to the Classification of Sponges
doi:10.1038/421791a
Universal building blocks p791
Carlton Baugh reviews The Road to Galaxy Formation by William C. Keel
doi:10.1038/421791b
Science in culture p792
Martin Kemp reviews
doi:10.1038/421792a
News and Views
Molecular biology: A fix for RNA p795
It has long been known that cells repair chemically or physically damaged DNA. But the discovery that damaged RNA can also be repaired may come as a surprise. What's more, some of the same enzymes are involved.
Thomas J. Begley and Leona D. Samson
doi:10.1038/421795a
Quantum computing: The qubit duet p796
Small, but consistent, steps are being taken towards the realization of a quantum computer. The demonstration of the coupling of two quantum bits in a solid-state device moves us closer to that goal.
Gianni Blatter
doi:10.1038/421796a
Neurobiology: Interneurons take charge p797
The brain's hippocampal region contains many classes of interneurons, which, it transpires, show different patterns of activity. They might contribute to memory by shaping the dynamics of neuronal networks.
Edvard I. Moser
doi:10.1038/421797a
Animal behaviour: How self-organization evolves p799
Self-organized systems can evolve by small parameter shifts that produce large changes in outcome. Concepts from mathematical ecology show how the way swarming bees dance helps to achieve unanimous decisions.
P. Kirk Visscher
doi:10.1038/421799a
Electronics: Polymers light the way p800
Using the methods of polymer deposition that are employed in making integrated circuits, light-emitting polymers can be patterned for application in flat-screen, full-colour displays.
Andrew Holmes
doi:10.1038/421800a
Molecular chaperones: Plugging the transport gap p801
Molecular chaperones are generally thought to protect newly synthesized proteins and ensure that they fold into the correct shape. But it seems that two chaperones also help to target certain proteins to mitochondria.
R. John Ellis
doi:10.1038/421801a
Applied physics: Son et lumière p802
The confinement of photons in a resonant cavity is the basis of laser operation. A device that has a resonant cavity for acoustic phonons inside an optical cavity enhances the interaction between sound and light.
John M. Worlock and Michael L. Roukes
doi:10.1038/421802a
100 and 50 years ago p803
doi:10.1038/421803a
news and views in brief p804
doi:10.1038/421804a
Brief Communications
Climate modelling: Severe summertime flooding in Europe p805
Even as summers become drier, the incidence of severe precipitation could increase.
Jens H. Christensen and Ole B. Christensen
doi:10.1038/421805a
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (369K)
Ecology: Parthenogenesis in an outsider crayfish p806
Gerhard Scholtz, Anke Braband, Laura Tolley, André Reimann, Beate Mittmann, Chris Lukhaup, Frank Steuerwald and Günter Vogt
doi:10.1038/421806a
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (80K)
correction: Ultrahard polycrystalline diamond from graphite p806
T. Irifune, A. Kurio, S. Sakamoto, T. Inoue and H. Sumiya
doi:10.1038/421806b
Review
An exceptionally preserved Lower Cretaceous ecosystem p807
Zhonghe Zhou, Paul M. Barrett and Jason Hilton
doi:10.1038/nature01420
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (803K)
Article
The importance of water to oceanic mantle melting regimes p815
P. D. Asimow and C. H. Langmuir
doi:10.1038/nature01429
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (420K)
Letters to Nature
Investigation of the obscuring circumnuclear torus in the active galaxy Mrk231 p821
Hans-Rainer Klöckner, Willem A. Baan and Michael A. Garrett
doi:10.1038/nature01381
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (262K)
Quantum oscillations in two coupled charge qubits p823
Yu. A. Pashkin, T. Yamamoto, O. Astafiev, Y. Nakamura, D. V. Averin and J. S. Tsai
doi:10.1038/nature01365
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (253K)
See also: News and Views by Blatter
Probing molecular dynamics with attosecond resolution using correlated wave packet pairs p826
Hiromichi Niikura, F. Légaré, R. Hasbani, Misha Yu Ivanov, D. M. Villeneuve and P. B. Corkum
doi:10.1038/nature01430
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (193K)
Multi-colour organic light-emitting displays by solution processing p829
C. David Müller, Aurélie Falcou, Nina Reckefuss, Markus Rojahn, Valèrie Wiederhirn, Paula Rudati, Holger Frohne, Oskar Nuyken, Heinrich Becker and Klaus Meerholz
doi:10.1038/nature01390
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (337K)
See also: News and Views by Holmes
Precise dating of Dansgaard–Oeschger climate oscillations in western Europe from stalagmite data p833
D. Genty, D. Blamart, R. Ouahdi, M. Gilmour, A. Baker, J. Jouzel and Sandra Van-Exter
doi:10.1038/nature01391
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (335K) | Supplementary information
New ages for human occupation and climatic change at Lake Mungo, Australia p837
James M. Bowler, Harvey Johnston, Jon M. Olley, John R. Prescott, Richard G. Roberts, Wilfred Shawcross and Nigel A. Spooner
doi:10.1038/nature01383
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (489K) | Supplementary information
Architecture and material properties of diatom shells provide effective mechanical protection p841
Christian E. Hamm, Rudolf Merkel, Olaf Springer, Piotr Jurkojc, Christian Maier, Kathrin Prechtel and Victor Smetacek
doi:10.1038/nature01416
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (317K)
Brain-state- and cell-type-specific firing of hippocampal interneurons in vivo p844
Thomas Klausberger, Peter J. Magill, László F. Márton, J. David B. Roberts, Philip M. Cobden, György Buzsáki and Peter Somogyi
doi:10.1038/nature01374
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (526K) | Supplementary information
See also: News and Views by Moser
Yeast genome duplication was followed by asynchronous differentiation of duplicated genes p848
Rikke B. LangkjAEr,
Paul F. Cliften,
Mark Johnston
and
Jure Pi
kur
doi:10.1038/nature01419
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (314K) | Supplementary information
CD4+ T cells are required for secondary expansion and memory in CD8+ T lymphocytes p852
Edith M. Janssen, Edward E. Lemmens, Tom Wolfe, Urs Christen, Matthias G. von Herrath and Stephen P. Schoenberger
doi:10.1038/nature01441
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (470K) | Supplementary information
STAT3 signalling is required for leptin regulation of energy balance but not reproduction p856
Sarah H. Bates, Walter H. Stearns, Trevor A. Dundon, Markus Schubert, Annette W. K. Tso, Yongping Wang, Alexander S. Banks, Hugh J. Lavery, Asma K. Haq, Eleftheria Maratos-Flier, Benjamin G. Neel, Michael W. Schwartz and Martin G. Myers, Jr
doi:10.1038/nature01388
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (309K) | Supplementary information
Human and bacterial oxidative demethylases repair alkylation damage in both RNA and DNA p859
Per Arne Aas, Marit Otterlei, Pål Ø. Falnes, Cathrine B. Vågbø, Frank Skorpen, Mansour Akbari, Ottar Sundheim, Magnar Bjørås, Geir Slupphaug, Erling Seeberg and Hans E. Krokan
doi:10.1038/nature01363
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (498K)
See also: News and Views by Begley & Samson
The complete folding pathway of a protein from nanoseconds to microseconds p863
Ugo Mayor, Nicholas R. Guydosh, Christopher M. Johnson, J. Günter Grossmann, Satoshi Sato, Gouri S. Jas, Stefan M. V. Freund, Darwin O. V. Alonso, Valerie Daggett and Alan R. Fersht
doi:10.1038/nature01428
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (496K)
New on the Market
Screening, scanning and sealing p869
The kit for drug screening, microplate scanning and microplate sealing.
doi:10.1038/421869a
Naturejobs
ProspectsCapturing competencies p871
Paul Smaglik
doi:10.1038/nj6925-871a
SPECIAL REPORT
Forensic science p872
Forensics offers career opportunities for the Sherlock Holmes of the future — and the work is far from elementary, says Susan Myers.
Susan Myers
doi:10.1038/nj6925-872a