NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 30 March 2008
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
· Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Breaking through plates – Nature Geoscience
Inside view of magnetic fields – Nature Physics
Tape tearing provides materials insight – Nature Materials
RNA Trojan horses zero in on liver cirrhosis – Nature Biotechnology
A new therapy for cystic fibrosis – Nature Medicine
New genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes – Nature Genetics
Colorectal cancer risk variants – Nature Genetics
· Mention of papers to be published at the same time with the same embargo
· Geographical listing of authors
PDFs of all the papers mentioned on this release can be found in the relevant journal’s section of http://press.nature.com. Press contacts for the Nature journals are listed at the end of this release.
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PLEASE CITE THE SPECIFIC NATURE JOURNAL AND WEBSITE AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO THE APPROPRIATE JOURNAL’S WEBSITE.
****************************************NATURE GEOSCIENCE******************************************
[1] Breaking through plates
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo159
Contrary to popular belief, plate boundaries do not necessarily put a stop to earthquake rupture suggests an analysis of a recent earthquake in the South Pacific. The research is published online in this week’s Nature Geoscience.
Fred Taylor and colleagues looked at the magnitude 8.1 earthquake that occurred near the Solomon Islands on 1 April 2007 and noted that it broke through a junction of three plates. They measured the vertical movements of colonies of coral, which die above the mean level of low tide and therefore accurately record changes in relative sea level, on the islands of Simbo and Ranogga. These islands are only 8 kilometres apart but sit on opposite sides of the trench where the Australian and Woodlark plates slide underneath the Pacific plate. The analysis revealed that all three plates were involved in generating the earthquake.
Author contact:
Fred Taylor (University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA)
Tel: +1 512 471 0453; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Geoscience to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[2] Control of rift obliquity on the evolution and segmentation of the main Ethiopian rift
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo160
[3] Uptake of molybdenum and vanadium by a nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium using siderophores
DOI: 10.1039/ngeo161
******************************************* NATURE PHYSICS *******************************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[4] Inside view of magnetic fields
DOI: 10.1038/nphys912
A technique for three-dimensional visualization of magnetic fields inside bulk objects is reported online this week in Nature Physics. The method could provide insights into a wide range of problems in science and technology that involve magnetic phenomena in solid objects, including superconductivity and magnetic devices.
Nikolay Kardjilov and colleagues use elementary particles known as neutrons which carry no electrical charge and can penetrate thick layers of matter. They also posses a magnetic moment, that is, they act like tiny compass needles. These combined properties mean that neutrons sense magnetic fields inside bulk objects as they move through them.
Three-dimensional neutron imaging and probing of magnetic fields with neutrons have been demonstrated before in separate experiments, but Kardjilov’s team have now found a way to bring these applications together, and use the information carried by the neutrons to reconstruct images that show the full three-dimensional distribution of magnetic fields inside solid objects.
Author contact:
Nikolay Kardjilov (Hahn-Meitner Institute, Berlin, Germany)
Tel: +49 30 8062 2298; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Physics to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[5] Tunable narrowband terahertz emission from mastered laser–electron beam interaction
DOI: 10.1038/nphys916
[6] A quantum-enhanced prototype gravitational-wave detector
DOI: 10.1038/nphys920
[7] Electric-field-controlled spin reversal in a quantum dot with ferromagnetic contacts
DOI: 10.1038/nphys931
********************************************* NATURE MATERIALS **************************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[8] Tape tearing provides materials insight
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2161
We have all experienced the frustration of trying to remove a piece of adhesive tape, only for the detached piece to narrow to a point and tear off from the surface. Remarkably this process can be mathematically modelled, meaning it can be put to good use to measure the properties of thin films, as reported online this week in Nature Materials.
Enrique Cerda and colleagues show that the tear shapes follow very robust scaling laws, and that the shape of the detached piece of film is related to the speed of removal and the strength of adhesion to the surface, as well as the film’s mechanical properties.
The authors demonstrate that the methodology can be extended to other adhesive thin films, such as peel being removed from a tomato.
Author contact:
Enrique Cerda (University of Santiago, Chile)
Tel: +56 2 718 1255; E-mail: [email protected]
*******************************************NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY*********************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[9] RNA Trojan horses zero in on liver cirrhosis
DOI: 10.1038/nbt1396
Using vitamin A to target the cells that cause liver cirrhosis may improve the treatment of the disease, according to research reported online this week in Nature Biotechnology.
Cirrhosis, which affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, is a scarring response to liver damage, which is most commonly inflicted by hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse or nutritional deficiencies. It occurs when specialized liver cells called stellate cells are triggered to produce collagen, the fibrous material that toughens skin and tendons. There are no approved antifibrotic therapies, partly due to the difficulty in specifically targeting collagen-producing cells to avoid unwanted side effects on healthy tissue.
Yoshiro Niitsu and colleagues exploit two properties of liver stellate cells—their ability to take up vitamin A and to make collagen. First, they designed small interfering RNA molecules (siRNAs) that block a key protein in collagen synthesis. Then, by packaging the siRNAs in carriers coated with vitamin A, they tricked the stellate cells into letting in the inhibitor, which shut down collagen secretion.
The treatment rescued rats from cirrhosis induced by three different approaches. As relatives of liver stellate cells contribute to fibrosis in organs, such as the pancreas and kidney, this type of siRNA therapy might be extended to reverse other fibrotic conditions.
Author contact:
Yoshiro Niitsu (Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan)
Tel: +81 11 611 2111; E-mail: [email protected]
Additional contact for comment on paper:
Scott L Friedman (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA)
Tel: +1 212 659 9501; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Biotechnology to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[10] Tumor immunotherapy across MHC barriers using allogeneic T-cell precursors
DOI: 10.1038/nbt1395
*******************************************Nature MEDICINE********************************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[11] A new therapy for cystic fibrosis
DOI: 10.1038/nm1748
A potential treatment for cystic fibrosis has been identified in mice, according to a study published online this week in Nature Medicine.
Patients with cystic fibrosis have a thick layer of mucus along the linings of their lungs, leading to increased bacterial infections and death. The disease is caused by a mutation in an ion transporter expressed at the cell surface. A leading idea in the field is that reduced ion transport in the lungs leads to cell dehydration and to the accumulation of more viscous mucus, allowing bacteria to evade the immune system.
Working with two mouse models of cystic fibrosis, Erich Gulbins and colleagues found that improper ion transport in the lung has a very different effect—it raises the pH of intracellular vesicles, modifying the activity of two enzymes that control the level of the lipid ceramide. Over time, ceramide levels increased in the mice lungs, leading to cell death and to inflammation—two known effects of excess ceramide that, in this case, promoted bacterial infection in the lung.
The authors show that, when an enzyme involved in ceramide metabolism was blocked in the mice, the levels of the lipid were normalized, and bacterial infection and mortality rates were reduced.
As a drug that reduces ceramide levels—amitriptyline—is currently used to treat depression, it could also be used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis.
Author contact:
Erich Gulbins (University of Duisburg–Essen, Germany)
Tel: +49 201 723 3118; E-mail: erich.gulbins@uni–due.de
Other papers from Nature Medicine to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[12] Neurotensin increases mortality, and mast cells reduce neurotensin levels in a mouse model of sepsis
DOI: 10.1038/nm1738
[13] CCL3L1-CCR5 genotype influences durability of immune recovery during antiretroviral therapy of HIV-1–infected individuals
DOI: 10.1038/nm1741
***********************************************NATURE GENETICS **************************************
(http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[14] New genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes
DOI: 10.1038/ng.120
At least six regions of the genome harbor variants that predispose to type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online this week in Nature Genetics.
Recent genome-wide association studies have identified genetic variants that influence risk of type 2 diabetes, although together they explain just a small fraction of the genetic contribution to the disease. A large consortium of scientists has carried out a ‘meta-analysis’ combining three previously published studies in order to identify additional risk factors. They found six variants to be strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, and each was replicated in an independent sample of more then 50,000 individuals. Although the particular genes affected by these variants will require additional genetic mapping, the candidates provide potential new insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.
All told the results suggest that genome scans of tens of thousands of individuals will be required to complete the picture of the genetic underpinnings of common, complex diseases.
Author contacts:
Mark McCarthy (University of Oxford, UK)
Tel: +44 1865 857298; E-mail: [email protected]
Michael Boehnke (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA)
Tel: +1 734 936 1001; E-mail: [email protected]
David Altshuler (Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 726 5940; E-mail: [email protected]
[15] & [16] Colorectal cancer risk variants
DOI: 10.1038/ng.133
DOI: 10.1038/ng.111
Three new variants are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to two studies published online this week in Nature Genetics. The research also uncovers the first population-specific susceptibility allele for the disease.
Malcolm Dunlop and colleagues carried out a genome-wide association study of individuals with and without colorectal cancer, and identified a variant on chromosome 11 as increasing risk of the disease by approximately 10%. The variant seems to have a stronger effect on susceptibility to rectal cancer than colon cancer. The authors also observe that Japanese individuals carrying the risk variant do not show an increased risk of colon cancer, although they do have an increased risk of rectal cancer. This is the first report of a population-specific susceptibility allele for colorectal cancer.
In a parallel study, Richard Houlston and colleagues report two new risk loci for the disease on chromosomes 8 and 10. The risk variant on chromosome 8 is near the gene EIF3H, which is known to be overexpressed in other cancers.
Author contacts:
Malcolm Dunlop (University of Edinburgh, UK)
Tel: +44 131 467 8454; E-mail: [email protected]
Richard Houlston (Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK)
Tel: +44 2087224175; E-mail: [email protected]
Other papers from Nature Genetics to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
[17] Differential effects of oncogenic K-Ras and N-Ras on proliferation, differentiation and tumor progression in the colon
DOI: 10.1038/ng.115
[18] TARDBP mutations in individuals with sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
DOI: 10.1038/ng.132
***************************************************************************************************************
Items from other Nature journals to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[19] Self-organized nanotube serpentines
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.59
[20] Dipole-directed assembly of lines of 1,5-dichloropentane on silicon substrates by displacement of surface charge
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.65
[21] Reversible electron-transfer reactions within a nanoscale metal oxide cage mediated by metallic substrates
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.66
[22] Monitoring dopants by Raman scattering in an electrochemically top-gated graphene transistor
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.67
[23] A pilot toxicology study of single-walled carbon nanotubes in a small sample of mice
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.68
Nature NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[24] Instantaneous correlation of excitation and inhibition during ongoing and sensory-evoked activities
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2105
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[25] Spatial and mechanistic separation of cross-presentation and endogenous antigen presentation
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1601
[26] Direct proteasome-independent cross-presentation of viral antigen by plasmacytoid dendritic cells on major histocompatibility complex class I
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1602
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[27] The miR-200 family and miR-205 regulate epithelial to mesenchymal transition by targeting ZEB1 and SIP1
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1722
Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[28] Pore-opening mechanism of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor evinced by proton transfer
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1407
[29] The regulatory activity of microRNA* species has substantial influence on microRNA and 3’ UTR evolution
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1409
[30] MukB acts as a macromolecular clamp in DNA condensation
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1410
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[31] A metric for odorant comparison
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1197
***************************************************************************************************************
GEOGRAPHICAL LISTING OF AUTHORS
The following list of places refers to the whereabouts of authors on the papers numbered in this release. The listing may be for an author's main affiliation, or for a place where they are working temporarily. Please see the PDF of the paper for full details.
AUSTRALIA
Adelaide: 27
Canberra: 6
Carlton: 16
Footscray: 16
Newtown: 27
Parkville: 16
CANADA:
Montreal: 15, 18
Ottawa: 15
Toronto: 10, 15, 20
Waterloo: 18
CHILE
Santiago: 8
CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague: 16
DENMARK
Copenhagen: 7
FINLAND
Helsinki: 16
FRANCE
Montpellier: 18
Paris: 8, 17, 18
Strasbourg: 3
Villeneuve d’Ascq: 5
GERMANY
Berlin: 4, 12
Bonn: 25
Essen: 11
Frankfurt am Main: 25
Greifswald: 11, 15, 16
Hannover: 11
Heidelberg: 4, 15, 16
Kiel: 15, 16
Mainz: 12
Tubingen: 11
INDIA
Bangalore: 22
ISRAEL
Haifa: 15
Rehovot: 19, 24, 31
ITALY
Firenze: 2
Rome: 26
JAPAN
Hyogo: 5
Nagoya: 5
Okazaki: 5
Osaka: 5
Saitama: 12
Sapporo: 9
Tokyo: 12, 15, 31
NETHERLANDS
Leiden: 16
SPAIN
Badajoz: 16
Barcelona: 15, 16
Galicia: 16
Madrid: 16
SWEDEN
Huddinge: 16
Uppsala: 12
UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham: 16
Cambridge: 15, 16, 22
Edinburgh: 15, 16
Glasgow: 21
Harrow: 16
Leeds: 16
Liverpool: 20, 21
London: 15, 16
Manchester: 16, 22
Oxford: 14, 16
Southampton: 16
Sutton: 15, 16
Warrington: 21
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Los Angeles: 11
Mountain View: 15
Palo Alto: 17, 23
Pasadena: 1, 6
San Diego: 13
San Francisco: 13, 17, 26
Stanford: 12
Colorado
Denver: 1
Connecticut
New Haven: 26
Florida
Gainesville: 10
Illinois
Chicago: 8
Urbana: 28
Iowa
Ames: 21
Maryland
Bethesda: 13
Massachusetts
Boston: 14, 17
Cambridge: 6, 8, 14, 17
Charlestown: 17
Worcester: 12
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 14, 15, 17
New Jersey
New Brunswick: 3
Princeton: 3
New York
New York: 10, 29
Rochester: 6
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: 13
Ohio
Cleveland: 11
Columbus: 1
Oklahoma
Norman: 30
Texas
Austin: 1
Dallas: 26
Houston: 13
San Antonio: 13
Virginia
Williamsburg: 6
PRESS CONTACTS…
For media inquiries relating to embargo policy for all the Nature Research Journals:
Katherine Anderson (Nature London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4502; E-mail: [email protected]
Ruth Francis (Senior Press Officer, Nature, London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: [email protected]
For media inquiries relating to editorial content/policy for the Nature Research Journals, please contact the journals individually:
Nature Biotechnology (New York)
Peter Hare
Tel: +1 212 726 9284; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Cell Biology (London)
Bernd Pulverer
Tel: +44 20 7843 4892; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Genetics (New York)
Orli Bahcall
Tel: +1 212 726 9311; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Geoscience (London)
Heike Langenberg
Tel: +44 20 7843 4042; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Immunology (New York)
Laurie Dempsey
Tel: +1 212 726 9372; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Materials (London)
Alison Stoddart
Tel: +44 20 7843 4593; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Medicine (New York)
Juan Carlos Lopez
Tel: +1 212 726 9325; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Methods (New York)
Allison Doerr
Tel: +1 212 726 9393; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Nanotechnology (London)
Peter Rodgers
Tel: +44 20 7014 4019; Email: [email protected]
Nature Neuroscience (New York)
Sandra Aamodt (based in California)
Tel: +1 530 795 3256; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Physics (London)
Alison Wright
Tel: +44 20 7843 4555; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (New York)
Michelle Montoya
Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: [email protected]
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