Table of contents
Volume 422 Number 6931 pp455-543
Editorial
Crick's immodest ambitions p455
As scientists and others worldwide celebrate the 50th anniversary of a profound discovery, one of the discoverers persists with another challenging quest that, while still a work in progress, also deserves celebration.
doi:10.1038/422455a
News
Researchers rage at tightened restrictions on US immigration p457
Geoff Brumfiel
doi:10.1038/422457a
Aid workers fear impending disaster in Basra p459
Quirin Schiermeier and Tobias Kramer
doi:10.1038/422459a
China joins investigation of mystery pneumonia p459
David Cyranoski
doi:10.1038/422459b
Genetics to unlock secrets of our African past p460
Michael Cherry
doi:10.1038/422460a
Axeing of website article sparks row at Max Planck p460
Alison Abbott
doi:10.1038/422460b
Report fuels criticism of UK research council p461
Natasha McDowell
doi:10.1038/422461a
Biosphere owner sues sponsor p461
Virginia Gewin
doi:10.1038/422461b
news feature
How to clean a beach p464
As oil-spill specialists continue to tackle the Prestige slick, they are drawing on knowledge from decades of clean-up operations. John Whitfield reports from Spain's Galician coast.
John Whitfield
doi:10.1038/422464a
Science academies: Time for an Italian renaissance? p467
Italy's national science academy is celebrating its 400th anniversary, in part by cataloguing its wealth of intellectual treasures. But can it reinvent itself as a modern, politically relevant body? Alison Abbott reports.
Alison Abbott
doi:10.1038/422467a
Correspondence
Max Planck: closures will damage German science p469
Cosmochemistry and geochemistry departments should continue their innovative work.
G. J. Wasserburg and D. P. McKenzie
doi:10.1038/422469a
Max Planck: cuts were decided years ago p469
Bernd Wirsing
doi:10.1038/422469b
Leading edge lasers p469
Swapan Chattopadhyay
doi:10.1038/422469c
Vigilance is vital to avoid conflicts of interest p469
Chris MacDonald
doi:10.1038/422469d
Commentary
Bringing down the barriers p470
Public communication should be part of common scientific practice.
doi:10.1038/422470a
Book Reviews
A word in your ear, ambassador p471
How can scientists provide more effective advice to the United Nations?
Ehsan Masood reviews Knowledge and Diplomacy: Science Advice in the United Nations System
doi:10.1038/422471a
The barnacle years p472
Frederick R. Schram reviews Darwin and the Barnacle by Rebecca Stott
doi:10.1038/422472a
Television review: Walking tall, not talking heads p473
Clive Gamble reviews Walking with Cavemen Executive producer and director Richard Dale
doi:10.1038/422473a
Practical proteomics p473
Stephen Oliver reviews Proteins and Proteomics: A Laboratory Manual by Richard J. Simpson
doi:10.1038/422473b
News and Views
Oceanography: Mixing with latitude p477
Measurements over a range of latitudes support a theory relating ocean turbulence to internal waves. The upshot should be easier mapping of ocean mixing, and eventually better climate models.
Chris Garrett
doi:10.1038/422477a
Microbiology: Gut defence p478
The severity of salmonella infections depends in part on how effectively the invaders are destroyed. Incisive experiments now show that host defence in the intestine centres on the aptly named defensins.
Tomas Ganz
doi:10.1038/422478a
Planetary science: Of asteroids and onions p479
A refined analysis of a group of meteorites has resolved controversy over the likely structure of their parent asteroid. A layered structure is revealed, rather like an onion, whose outer regions cooled fastest.
John A. Wood
doi:10.1038/422479a
Cell motility: Making streams p481
Cells of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum can move in a kind of close-order drill. New evidence suggests that they do this by secreting a chemical attractant specifically from their rear, luring the cells that follow.
Richard H. Kessin
doi:10.1038/422481a
Behavioural ecology: Coots count p483
American coots distinguish their own eggs from the eggs that other female coots lay in the same nest. They use a variety of tactics to minimize the adverse reproductive effects of the parasitic behaviour.
Malte Andersson
doi:10.1038/422483a
Nuclear physics: Into the fission valley p485
Why are new elements difficult to make? Fusion of two nuclei to produce heavy elements seems to be hindered by a competing process of 'quasi-fission'. New work builds a more complete picture.
Peter Möller and Arnold J. Sierk
doi:10.1038/422485a
100 and 50 years ago p485
doi:10.1038/422485b
news and views in brief p487
doi:10.1038/422487a
News and Views Feature
The dark side p489
Evidence for the existence of dark matter in the Universe is overwhelming. But how close are we to finding out what it really is?
Masataka Fukugita
doi:10.1038/422489a
Brief Communications
Biomechanics: Are fast-moving elephants really running? p493
Despite their unseemly bulk, elephants can hit high speeds — but use an unusual style.
John R. Hutchinson, Dan Famini, Richard Lair and Rodger Kram
doi:10.1038/422493a
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (142K) | Supplementary information
Cell biology: Developmental predisposition to cancer p494
Steven A. Frank and Martin A. Nowak
doi:10.1038/422494a
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (71K)
Article
Egg recognition and counting reduce costs of avian conspecific brood parasitism p495
Bruce E. Lyon
doi:10.1038/nature01505
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (207K)
See also: News and Views by Andersson
Letters to Nature
An enhanced cosmic-ray flux towards 
Persei inferred from a laboratory study of the H3+–e- recombination rate p500
B. J. McCall, A. J. Huneycutt, R. J. Saykally, T. R. Geballe, N. Djuric, G. H. Dunn, J. Semaniak, O. Novotny, A. Al-Khalili, A. Ehlerding, F. Hellberg, S. Kalhori, A. Neau, R. Thomas, F. Österdahl and M. Larsson
doi:10.1038/nature01498
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (182K)
Structure and thermal history of the H-chondrite parent asteroid revealed by thermochronometry p502
Mario Trieloff, Elmar K. Jessberger, Ingrid Herrwerth, Jens Hopp, Christine Fiéni, Marianne Ghélis, Michèle Bourot-Denise and Paul Pellas
doi:10.1038/nature01499
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (260K) | Supplementary information
See also: News and Views by Wood
Critical thickness for ferroelectricity in perovskite ultrathin films p506
Javier Junquera and Philippe Ghosez
doi:10.1038/nature01501
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (476K)
Homogeneous climate variability across East Antarctica over the past three glacial cycles p509
O. Watanabe, J. Jouzel, S. Johnsen, F. Parrenin, H. Shoji and N. Yoshida
doi:10.1038/nature01525
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (440K)
Reduced mixing from the breaking of internal waves in equatorial waters p513
Michael C. Gregg, Thomas B. Sanford and David P. Winkel
doi:10.1038/nature01507
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (192K)
See also: News and Views by Garrett
Cannibalism in the Madagascan dinosaur Majungatholus atopus p515
Raymond R. Rogers, David W. Krause and Kristina Curry Rogers
doi:10.1038/nature01532
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (408K)
Conservation of total synaptic weight through balanced synaptic depression and potentiation p518
Sébastien Royer and Denis Paré
doi:10.1038/nature01530
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (472K) | Supplementary information
Protection against enteric salmonellosis in transgenic mice expressing a human intestinal defensin p522
Nita H. Salzman, Dipankar Ghosh, Kenneth M. Huttner, Yvonne Paterson and Charles L. Bevins
doi:10.1038/nature01520
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (338K)
See also: News and Views by Ganz
PAC1 phosphatase is a transcription target of p53 in signalling apoptosis and growth suppression p527
Yuxin Yin, Yu-Xin Liu, Yan J. Jin, Eric J. Hall and J. Carl Barrett
doi:10.1038/nature01519
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (493K) | Supplementary information
The voltage dependence of NADPH oxidase reveals why phagocytes need proton channels p531
Thomas E. DeCoursey, Deri Morgan and Vladimir V. Cherny
doi:10.1038/nature01523
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (325K)
Crystal structure of a transcription factor IIIB core interface ternary complex p534
Z. Sean Juo, George A. Kassavetis, Jimin Wang, E. Peter Geiduschek and Paul B. Sigler
doi:10.1038/nature01534
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (753K) | Supplementary information
New on the Market
Programs for action p540
New software packages tackle graphs, genomes, stability.
doi:10.1038/422540a
Naturejobs
ProspectsYoung at heart p541
Paul Smaglik
doi:10.1038/nj6931-541a
SPECIAL REPORT
Changing attitudes in the world of drug discovery p542
Paul Smaglik and Simon Frantz
doi:10.1038/nj6931-542a