Volume 515 Issue 7526, 13 November 2014

The European Space Agency can be proud of its comet mission— whatever happens.

To increase the chances of stumbling on existing drugs that can double as brain treatments, a systematic search is needed, says David Nutt.

The week in science: CERN picks new chief; USDA OKs transgenic potato; and astronomers win science mega-award.

Appeals court says six scientists did not cause deaths in 2009 L'Aquila earthquake and cuts sentence of a government official.

A graphical guide identifies the dangers ahead for the Philae probe.

Clinical-trial obligations introduced into the Helsinki declaration called too onerous by some.

Idea that intestinal bacteria affect mental health gains ground.

Public-health officials split on use of control groups in tests of experimental treatments.

Depression causes more disability than any other disorder. A special issue explores how science can help.

Research into depression has struggled, while studies of cancer have thrived — but the balance could be shifting.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is the best-studied form of psychotherapy. But researchers are still struggling to understand why it works.

To understand the molecular mechanisms of depression, collect genetic data from more than 100,000 people, says Steven Hyman.

Christopher J. M. Whitty and colleagues explain why the United Kingdom is funding many small community centres to isolate suspected cases in Sierra Leone.

Robert P. Crease ponders a brace of biopics on Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking.

Thanks to theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, real science is embedded in Christopher Nolan's film Interstellar, in which explorers seek a new home for humankind. Thorne talks about what he learned from the film's unprecedented visualizations of black holes and wormholes, what it and his accompanying book can teach, and the likelihood of humans escaping the Solar System.

Barbara Kiser reviews five of the week's best science picks.

Conventional behavioural mouse models of depression are often used to study the disorder, but cannot capture the full picture of the human disease. Here, scientists present two views about the best research strategies to adopt if treatments are to be improved.

Exquisite control of quantum systems has allowed researchers to connect reality to ideas of how an exotic form of particle transport known as the quantum Hall effect can occur in the absence of a magnetic field. See Letters p.237 & p.241

A pair of newly discovered 70-million-year-old fossils from Mongolia — including material previously lost to poaching — reveals the true nature of one of the most enigmatic dinosaur species, Deinocheirus mirificus. See Letter p.257

The detection of unusual 'mirage' energy bands in photoemission spectra of single-atom layers of iron selenide reveals the probable cause of high-temperature superconductivity in these artificial structures. See Letter p.245

An innovative approach to analysing the functions and gene-expression profiles of neural stem cells in developing human and mouse brains sheds light on the differences — and similarities — between the two species. See Letter p.264

An ultrafast, temperature-dependent mode of endocytosis, a process that is required for neurons to repeatedly fire, challenges current thinking and brings an old model back into the spotlight. See Article p.228

Whole-exome sequencing in a large autism study identifies over 100 autosomal genes that are likely to affect risk for the disorder; these genes, which show unusual evolutionary constraint against mutations, carry de novo loss-of-function mutations in over 5% of autistic subjects and many function in synaptic, transcriptional and chromatin-remodelling pathways.

Family-based exome sequencing in a large autism study has identified 27 high-confidence gene targets and accurately estimates the contribution of both de novo gene-disrupting and missense mutations to the incidence of simplex autism, with target genes in affected females overlapping those in males of lower but not higher IQ; targets also overlap known targets for intellectual disability and schizophrenia, and are enriched for chromatin modifiers, FMRP-associated genes and embryonically expressed genes.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti includes two subspecies, one of which shows a preference for biting humans, whereas the other prefers to bite non-human animals; genetic analysis reveals that changes in the mosquito odorant receptor Or4 contribute to the behavioural difference—in human-preferring mosquitoes, Or4 is more highly expressed and more sensitive to sulcatone, a compound present at high levels in human odour.

Ultrastructural analysis of synaptic vesicle recycling reveals that clathrin is not required for the initial rapid step of vesicle recycling by ultrafast endocytosis at the plasma membrane and instead clathrin acts later at an endosome to regenerate synaptic vesicles; however, when ultrafast endocytosis does not occur (for example, in experiments at room temperature rather than physiological temperature), clathrin-mediated endocytosis does happen at the plasma membrane.

High spatial resolution is needed to study the early development of a nova; here measurements of the angular size and radial velocity of Nova Delphini 2013 reveal early structures in the ejected material and a geometric distance to the nova of about 4.5 kiloparsecs from the Sun.

The Haldane model, which predicts complex topological states of matter, has been implemented by placing ultracold atoms in a tunable optical lattice that was deformed and shaken.

Superconducting quantum circuits are used to directly observe and characterize topological phase transitions; this approach promises to be a powerful and general platform for characterizing topological phenomena in quantum systems.

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy reveals bosonic modes in a SrTiO₃ substrate coupling to electrons in an FeSe overlayer to facilitate high-temperature superconductivity.

A method for the depolymerization of oxidized lignin under mild conditions in aqueous formic acid is described that results in more than 60 wt% yield of low-molecular-mass aromatics.

Seismic images of the subducted Atlantic slab under northeastern South America and the Alboran slab beneath the Gibraltar arc region show that subducting oceanic plates viscously entrain and remove the bottom of the continental thermal boundary layer from adjacent continental margins, driving surface tectonics and pre-conditioning the margins for further deformation.

Two almost complete skeletons are presented for the theropod dinosaur Deinocheirus mirificus, revealing a humpbacked form with a duckbill-like skull.

Genome-wide DNA polymorphism analysis across 76 animal species reveals a strong effect of ecological strategies, and particularly parental investment, on species levels of genetic diversity.

The transcriptional profiles of radial glia are compared between humans and mice during neurogenesis, implicating the growth factor PDGFD and its receptor, PDGFRβ, in human but not mouse neocortical development.

The cortical amygdala is necessary and sufficient for processing odours that evoke aversive and attractive responses without learning.

Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations induce both amyloid-β and tau pathologies in differentiated human neural stem cells in 3D cultures.

The Piezo1 calcium-permeable channel is revealed to have a role in the vascular cellular response to shear stress; a mouse knockout reveals that this channel is also important for normal vascular development.

The structure of the 39S large mitoribosome subunit is solved by cryo-electron microscopy at an impressive 3.4 Å resolution, revealing the location of 50 ribosomal proteins, the peptidyl transferase centre, the tRNAs within this active site, and the nascent peptide chain within the exit tunnel.

The crystal structure of the RNA binding domains of Sxl and Unr with msl2 RNA shows that interwoven interactions establish cooperative assembly of the ternary complex, highlighting how binding of relatively general RNA binding domains to RNA can result in a unique and specific protein–RNA architecture.

The processes behind neuronal communication have not yet been resolved in detail, but dyes, microscopy and protein analysis are beginning to fill in the gaps.

Diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are rising up the research agenda, partly because of ageing populations.

Cardiovascular researcher explains his move from academia to big pharma.

Repeat after me.

Migration has led to an increase in the occurrence of sickle-cell disease in countries with previously low incidence of the disorder.

Only one drug is available to treat sickle-cell disease, but a wave of investment and industry attention is set to turn the tide.

Physician Graham Serjeant reflects on how Jamaica's inhabitants have helped to advance our understanding of sickle-cell disease.

People with sickle-cell disease experience bursts of debilitating agony from birth. But researchers have made a promising discovery that could ease these excruciating episodes.

The disparity in outcomes for children with sickle-cell disease in developed and developing countries is an injustice, says Isaac Odame.

Correcting the genetic error in sickle-cell disease might be as simple as amending text.

Stem-cell transplantation can cure sickle-cell disease, but so far this has been limited to a lucky few. That is changing fast.

Quality of life has become a vital consideration for children with sickle-cell disease in high-income countries, says Michael R. DeBaun.

The Nature Index allows us to track contributions by countries and by research institutions — academic, government and commercial — to selective scientific journals, independently chosen by active scientists. Analysis of this database provides insight into global hotspots for high-quality research.

High-level results from the Nature Index show three strong regions, but also reveal a more nuanced picture.

For many decades, North America has led the world with the breadth and depth of its science, and its continued dominance is apparent in the Nature Index results. Article count (AC): 29,325 Fractional count (FC): 22,276 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 20,126

A mature scientific system helps this region to produce a strong scientific output, and support for science is high — even during an economic slump. But a heavy administrative and bureaucratic burden makes collaborations difficult. Article count: 25,355 Fractional count (FC): 18,458 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 15,795

China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea vividly demonstrate how significant investment in science can help to fuel national economic growth. Article count (AC): 15,638 Fractional count (FC): 11,449 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 10,811

Countries in the region are pushing to adopt a broader research base, along with updated institutional organizations. But for the most part it is the physical sciences that remain strongest. Article count: 3,351 Fractional count (FC): 1,321 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 1,048

The research landscape could not be more disparate between Australia and New Zealand. Strong Australian results are undermined by recent budget cuts, while New Zealand's output has fallen despite science spending boosts. Article count: 2,782 Fractional count (FC): 1,270 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 1,064

Almost all countries in the region endured upheaval in 2013. Despite unsettled times the biggest research players continued to prioritize science and discovery and push for breakthroughs across the disciplines. Article count (AC): 1,920 Fractional count (FC): 785 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 696

Asia's traditional strengths in chemistry and physical sciences continue to power scientific pursuits and collaborations in Central and South Asian countries. Article count (AC): 1,574 Fractional count (FC): 986 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 879

Scientists in Middle and South America are striving for excellence and reaching out for international collaborations, while contending with comparatively low spending levels. Article count (AC): 1,968 Fractional count (FC): 804 Weighted fractional count (WFC): 530

Efforts to boost domestic science spending have yet to reach their goal, but are having an effect in Africa. Researchers, however, still rely heavily on funds and collaborators from richer nations.

A description of the terminology and methodology used in this supplement, and a guide to the functionality available online at natureindex.com.

The world's leading countries and institutions for high–quality science, ordered by weighted fractional count (WFC) for 2013. Also shown are the total number of articles, and the change in WFC from 2012. Articles are from the 68 natural science journals that comprise the Nature Index (see Guide to the Nature Index, page S94.)

The Nature Index 2014 Global supplement provides a snapshot of results from the new Nature Index, comparing the countries and institutions around the world that contributed to some of the highest quality research during the previous calendar year. The supplement provides analysis based on national news about science policy and funding backed by data from the Nature Index on subject strengths and research output.

Sickle-cell disease separates the haves and the have-nots - most children born with the disorder in low-income countries die before their fifth birthday. The survival rate is higher in wealthier nations, but pain, stroke and other severe complications can affect quality of life. However, researchers are investigating treatments, cures, ways to ease symptoms - and how to bridge the rich–poor divide.