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In line with previous research, a demographic analysis corroborates the presence of a limit to human lifespan, indicating that increases in life expectancy are likely to slow down or stop over the coming years.
A database of the carbon-isotope 'fingerprints' of methane has been used to constrain the contributions of different sources to the global methane budget. The surprising results have implications for climate prediction. See Letter p.88
Heat-shock proteins have been found to form part of a large protein complex, called the epichaperome, that improves the survival of some cancer cells. This complex might offer a new target for cancer treatment. See Letter p.397
Weber and Dan review our understanding of the neural circuits controlling sleep, focusing on the advances in measurement and manipulation of neuronal activity and circuit tracing from genetically defined cell types.
The emergence of complex, dynamic molecular behaviour might have had a role in the origin of life. Such behaviour has now been seen in a reaction network involving small, organic, self-replicating molecules of biological relevance. See Letter p.656
A technique that combines magnetic resonance with nuclear medicine has been used to image the distribution of a radioactive tracer, potentially opening up a powerful and innovative approach to medical imaging. See Letter p.652
An unexpected function has been assigned to part of the molecular machinery that synthesizes the bacterial cell wall — a dramatic shift in our understanding that may have major implications for antibiotic development. See Article p.634
Researchers estimate that the incidence of human lethal violence at the time of the origin of our species was about six times higher than for the average mammal, but about as violent as expected, given our great-ape ancestry. See Letter p.233
Carbon emissions from the Arctic tundra could increase drastically as global warming thaws permafrost. Clues now obtained about the long-term effects of such thawing on carbon dioxide emissions highlight the need for more data.
Disturbances in internal water equilibrium can be debilitating for mammals. Two studies pinpoint areas of the mouse brain that respond to and anticipate thirst, preserving systematic fluid regulation. See Letters p.680 & p.685
The human dispersal out of Africa that populated the world was probably paced by climate changes. This is the inference drawn from computer modelling of climate variability during the time of early human migration. See Letter p.92
Neutrinos are much lighter than the other constituents of matter. One explanation for this could be that neutrinos are their own antiparticles and belong to a new class of 'Majorana' particle. An experiment sets strong constraints on this scenario.
Two 'failed' materials can perform much better when united. Such a combination exhibits magnetization and electric polarization up to room temperature, providing a basis for new magnetoelectric devices. See Letter p.523
A simple technique has been developed that produces holograms made of sound waves. These acoustic landscapes are used to manipulate microscale objects, and offer great potential in medical imaging and selective heating. See Letter p.518
Genetic studies of individuals from geographically diverse human populations provide insights into the dispersal of modern humans across the globe and how geography shaped genomic variation. See Articles p.201 & p.207 & Letter p.238
Potassium released from dying tumour cells has now been found to suppress the activity of T cells of the immune system. Enhancing the removal of potassium from T cells restores their ability to attack cancer. See Letter p.539
Underactivity of the transcription factor p53 can lead to tumour development. The discovery that the SET protein binds to and inhibits p53 points to a way to unleash the tumour suppressor's activity. See Letter p.118
Nanocrystalline alloys have excellent low-temperature mechanical strength but poor high-temperature resistance to creep — deformation due to continuous stress. An alloy has been made that overcomes this problem. See Letter p.378
A technical feat achieved by two independent groups has enabled resolution of the molecular structure of a form of the amyloid-β protein that is thought to play a major part in Alzheimer's disease.
