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| Open AccessLife cycle assessment needs predictive spatial modelling for biodiversity and ecosystem services
Life cycle assessments are used by corporations to determine the sustainability of raw source materials. Here, Chaplin-Krameret al. develop an improved life cycle assessment approach incorporating spatial variation in land-use change, and apply this framework to a bioplastic case study.
- Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer
- , Sarah Sim
- & Gretchen Daily
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Editorial
| Open AccessFake news threatens a climate literate world
As the challenges and environmental consequences of climate change manifest, the need for a society of science-literate citizens is becoming increasingly apparent. Achieving this, however, is no easy task, particularly given the proliferation of fake news and the seeds of confusion it can sow
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Article
| Open AccessExercise contagion in a global social network
Some argue that health-related behaviours, such as obesity, are contagious, but empirical evidence of health contagion remains inconclusive. Here, using a large scale quasi-experiment in a global network of runners, Aral and Nicolaides show that this type of contagion exists in fitness behaviours.
- Sinan Aral
- & Christos Nicolaides
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| Open AccessLong-term trends in the intensity and relative toxicity of herbicide use
Quantifying the toxicity of herbicides applied in the field is difficult. Here, the author applies a quotient to evaluate changes in relative toxicity over the past 25 years and finds that increased herbicide use does not necessarily constitute increased toxicity.
- Andrew R. Kniss
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| Open AccessArchaeogenomic evidence reveals prehistoric matrilineal dynasty
In ancient cultures without a writing system, it is difficult to infer the basis of status and rank. Here the authors analyse ancient DNA from nine presumed elite individuals buried successively over a 300-year period at Chaco Canyon, and show evidence of matrilineal relationships.
- Douglas J. Kennett
- , Stephen Plog
- & George H. Perry
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| Open AccessPathways towards instability in financial networks
The spread of instabilities in financial systems, similarly to ecosystems, is influenced by topological features of the underlying network structures. Here the authors show, independently of specific financial models, that market integration and diversification can drive the system towards instability.
- Marco Bardoscia
- , Stefano Battiston
- & Guido Caldarelli
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| Open AccessConsistent negative response of US crops to high temperatures in observations and crop models
Future agricultural productivity is threatened by high temperatures. Here, using 9 crop models, Schaubergeret al. find that yield losses due to temperatures >30 °C are captured by current models where yield losses by mild heat stress occur mainly due to water stress and can be buffered by irrigation.
- Bernhard Schauberger
- , Sotirios Archontoulis
- & Katja Frieler
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| Open AccessResilient cooperators stabilize long-run cooperation in the finitely repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma
Studying the dynamics of learning in repeated games of cooperation is complicated by the short duration of traditional experiments. Here the authors perform a virtual prisoner's dilemma game over twenty consecutive days, finding that a minority of resilient co-operators can sustain cooperation indefinitely.
- Andrew Mao
- , Lili Dworkin
- & Duncan J. Watts
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| Open AccessRe-assessment of net energy production and greenhouse gas emissions avoidance after 40 years of photovoltaics development
While the photovoltaic industry aims to achieve cleaner energy production, it consumes energy and emits greenhouse gases during production and deployment. Here, Louwenet al. show that the industry has likely already reached break-even points for both greenhouse gases emissions and electricity consumption.
- Atse Louwen
- , Wilfried G. J. H. M. van Sark
- & Ruud E. I. Schropp
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| Open AccessCompetition among networks highlights the power of the weak
Network science and game theory have been traditionally combined to analyse interactions between nodes of a network. Here, the authors model competition for importance among networks themselves, and reveal dominance of the underdogs in the fate of networks-of-networks.
- Jaime Iranzo
- , Javier M. Buldú
- & Jacobo Aguirre
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Editorial
| Open AccessTransparent peer review one year on
The majority of our authors are opting in to publish reviewer reports of their papers
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Editorial
| Open AccessPaving the way toward better peer review
We are committed to support our reviewers with all relevant information needed to draft their reports
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Article
| Open AccessMassive yet grossly underestimated global costs of invasive insects
Invasive insects impose many economic costs, for example by consuming crops and spreading disease. Here, Bradshaw et al. compile a database of the costs of invasive insects and conservatively estimate that the yearly global cost (in 2014-equivalent US dollars) is at least $70 billion for goods and services and $6.9 billion for human health.
- Corey J. A. Bradshaw
- , Boris Leroy
- & Franck Courchamp
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Editorial
| Open AccessPresenting ten thousand research articles
Nature Communications celebrates its 10,000th published article and introduces changes to improve our service to authors and readers
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| Open AccessMeta-analysis of gene–environment-wide association scans accounting for education level identifies additional loci for refractive error
This report by the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia uses gene-environment-wide interaction study (GEWIS) to identify genetic loci that affect environmental influence in myopia development, and identifies ethnic specific genetic loci that attribute to eye refractive errors.
- Qiao Fan
- , Virginie J. M. Verhoeven
- & Kari Matti Mäkelä
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Editorial
| Open AccessTransparent peer review at Nature Communications
Authors of papers submitted from January 2016 will be given the option to publish the peer review history of their paper
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Editorial
| Open AccessTowards an unbiased view of science
Authors at Nature Communications now have the option to choose double-blind peer review
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Review Article |
Global potential of biospheric carbon management for climate mitigation
Carbon mitigation is considered an important and viable pathway towards climate stabilization, but competition for land is high. Here, Canadell and Schulze consider the sustainable implementation of a number of land-based biological carbon mitigation activities and assess the carbon savings achievable by 2050.
- Josep G. Canadell
- & E. Detlef Schulze
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| Open AccessImproving farming practices reduces the carbon footprint of spring wheat production
Wheat is the world’s second most favoured food source, yet its production has climatic consequences. Here the authors quantify the carbon footprint of wheat production systems and evaluate potential alternative farming practices, with a reduced negative impact on climate.
- Yantai Gan
- , Chang Liang
- & Robert P. Zentner
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Editorial
| Open AccessOpening up communications
The transition to fully open access publishing establishes Nature Communications as the flagship Nature-branded open access journal.
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Agronomic conditions and crop evolution in ancient Near East agriculture
The evolution of agronomic conditions after domestication in the Fertile Crescent remains poorly understood. Here, Araus et al. show that water availability and soil fertility for crops were higher in the past and that domesticated cereals showed a progressive increase in kernel size following domestication.
- José L. Araus
- , Juan P. Ferrio
- & Ramón Buxó
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Regional climate model simulations indicate limited climatic impacts by operational and planned European wind farms
Wind power installations have boomed across Europe in recent decades, yet the potentially negative impact of wind farms on climate remains largely untested. Vautard et al. parameterize operational and planned European wind farms in a regional climate model and show limited regional-scale climate impacts.
- Robert Vautard
- , Françoise Thais
- & Paolo Michele Ruti
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The impact of agricultural emergence on the genetic history of African rainforest hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists
Agriculture emerged in West Africa 5,000 years ago but how this impacted the population of rainforest hunter-gatherers (RHGs) is unknown. Here, the authors show that modern-day RHG populations present up to 50% of farmer ancestry but admixture only occurred in the last 1,000 years.
- Etienne Patin
- , Katherine J. Siddle
- & Lluís Quintana-Murci
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| Open AccessDistinguishing between yield advances and yield plateaus in historical crop production trends
Food security and the conservation of natural ecosystems largely rely on the increase in crop yields. Here, the authors examine global crop yield trends since 1960, and establish a robust statistical framework for estimating historical trajectories and identifying yield plateaus.
- Patricio Grassini
- , Kent M. Eskridge
- & Kenneth G. Cassman
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Natural variation in PTB1 regulates rice seed setting rate by controlling pollen tube growth
Understanding the genetic factors that regulate panicle architecture is important for improving rice yields. In this study, Li et al. demonstrate that the gene PTB1is critical for regulating panicle seed setting rate and pollen tube growth.
- Shuangcheng Li
- , Wenbo Li
- & Ping Li
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| Open AccessRegional population collapse followed initial agriculture booms in mid-Holocene Europe
Between 8000 and 4000 BP, agriculture spread throughout Europe changing consumption patterns and increasing populations. Shennan et al. analyse radiocarbon date distributions and paleoclimate proxies to show that agriculture also triggered regional population oscillations and that climate forcing is an unlikely cause.
- Stephen Shennan
- , Sean S. Downey
- & Mark G. Thomas
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Group performance is maximized by hierarchical competence distribution
Social groups often need to take decisions and solve problems together, with each member contributing to the solution in a different way. Zafeiris et al.provide a family of models that allow the definition of the ideal distribution of competences in a group to solve a given task.
- Anna Zafeiris
- & Tamás Vicsek
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Conventional tree height–diameter relationships significantly overestimate aboveground carbon stocks in the Central Congo Basin
Accurate estimates of tropical forest carbon stocks are needed for policies to reduce emissions from loss of forests. By looking at a central area in the Congo Basin, Kearsleyet al.find that inconsistencies in height–diameter relationships across Central Africa cause overestimations between regions.
- Elizabeth Kearsley
- , Thales de Haulleville
- & Hans Verbeeck
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Urban characteristics attributable to density-driven tie formation
An enduring paradox of urban economics is why cities support levels of enterprise, such as patents and inventions, higher than the countryside. Here Pentland et al. suggest that the density of social ties provides a greater flow of ideas, resulting in increased productivity and innovation.
- Wei Pan
- , Gourab Ghoshal
- & Alex Pentland
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Recent patterns of crop yield growth and stagnation
Demand for crops is increasing, but it is not clear whether the yields can meet this demand. Using crop yield observations, this study analyses global trends and finds that while yields continue to increase in some areas, across 24–39% of crop-growing regions, yields have stagnated or declined over the past 50 years.
- Deepak K. Ray
- , Navin Ramankutty
- & Jonathan A. Foley
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Editorial |
Growth and development
With a year of publications under its belt, Nature Communications has established itself as an accommodating venue for the natural sciences.
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Threat of invasive pests from within national borders
Invasive species are usually thought to originate from outside a country's borders. Here, using a self-organizing map, Paini and co-workers show that the species most likely to 'invade' the USA are already firmly established within the country, suggesting the need for biosecurity measures within national borders.
- Dean R. Paini
- , Susan P. Worner
- & Matthew B. Thomas
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The effects of 118 years of industrial fishing on UK bottom trawl fisheries
Fish stocks in the ocean are known to be under threat. Here, using government data describing commercial fish landings, Thurstan and colleagues show that these stocks began to decline rapidly in the 1970s.
- Ruth H. Thurstan
- , Simon Brockington
- & Callum M. Roberts
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Editorial |
Open for business
Nature Publishing Group launches its second multidisciplinary journal, 140 years after the first issue of Nature.