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Spider silk is one of natures super-materials. Its remarkable mechanical properties include high extensibility and strength comparable to that of steel. But Markus Buehler and colleagues show that it is not just these virtues that make silk ideal for web construction. Silks nonlinear stress response linear at low strain, suddenly softening as strain increases then stiffening prior to failure is also critical. This behaviour allows webs to keep their shape when experiencing small, distributed loads such as those exerted by wind. But during strong local deformations, such as those caused by falling debris, the geometrical arrangement of the threads and the nonlinear stress response combine to limit damage to the area near the impact site, so that the web remains functional. Credit: S. Cranford, M. J. Buehler/MIT. Dickens (inset): Rex Features.
Europe is making a good start on learning about the health risks of low-dose radiation with a programme to share cold-war data and set research priorities. But the effort needs to be global.
The Global Fund's drive to ensure sustainability and efficiency means that it may not be able to meet its commitments to combat disease, says Laurie Garrett.
The week in science: sequencing stock rebounds after takeover bid for Illumina; drug companies and nations team up against neglected diseases; and turmoil at the Global Fund.
Cognitive psychologist Gary Marcus researches language acquisition and the evolution of the brain at New York University. On the release of his latest book, Guitar Zero — a personal yet scientific investigation of how people become musical — he explains how a love of music and a computer game helped him to overcome a lack of rhythm and learn to play the guitar.
A petrology study of the Bronze Age 'Minoan' eruption on the Greek island of Santorini finds that the sub-volcanic magma reservoir was recharged in spurts during the decades to months that preceded the eruption. See Letter p.77
How does the brain couple a fleeting sensory input to a delayed reward during learning? A study in locusts shows that coincident firing of neurons can 'mark' a neuronal connection for later modulation. See Article p.47
A simple method has been developed to control the shape of nanoscale cuprous oxide crystals. Some shapes turn out to be much better than others as catalysts for a light-activated reaction.
During early embryo development in animals, maternal genes are expressed in preference to those of the zygote — the newly fertilized egg. But in plants it seems that zygote genomes switch on within hours of fertilization. See Letter p.94
The protein dynein 'walks' along filaments to transport various cargoes within the cell. Two studies reveal that, unlike other motor proteins, dynein's steps are not strictly coordinated.
A 'comb' of photons at evenly spaced frequencies in the extreme ultraviolet has been generated. It will allow a more precise search for variation in the fine-structure constant, which sets the strength of the electromagnetic force. See Letter p.68
In the locust olfactory system, spike-timing-dependent plasticity acts as a synaptic ‘tag’ that labels only the synapses active in response to specific odorants, thus priming them for subsequent modulation of the plasticity rule.
Chromosomes within micronuclei are shown to be damaged during S phase and become highly fragmented, and the damaged pieces can be reincorporated into the genome.
Experimental study of the interactions between intense X-rays and solid matter illustrate the generation of a solid-density plasma governed by electron–ion collisions; these results should inform future high-intensity X-ray experiments involving dense samples, such as X-ray diffractive imaging of biological samples, material science investigations, and the study of matter in extreme conditions.
By coupling a high-power, high-repetition-rate near-infrared frequency comb to a femtosecond optical cavity, a frequency comb operating in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral range has been produced, by high harmonic generation, and provides high-resolution spectroscopy in this spectral region.
Spider web deformation simulations, theory and experiments reveal how the nonlinear response of spider silk to strain and the discrete geometry of a web contribute to its robustness, integrity and performance.
A study of pre-eruptive magmatic processes at a caldera volcano shows that, although such a volcano may have been dormant for a long period, its magma reserves may be replenished in a comparatively very short time and it may move rapidly from a quiescent state to one on the verge of eruption.
Colour sidedness in cattle breeds is reported to be determined by two alleles, created as a result of a serial translocation involving circular intermediates.
Dopaminergic neurons in the mouse ventral tegmental area signal the difference between received and expected reward, whereas GABAergic neurons signal expected reward.
Transcriptome sequencing and analysis of hybrid embryos show that in contrast to early animal embryogenesis, early plant embryogenesis is mostly under zygotic control.
Exome sequencing identifies mutations in kelch-like 3 and cullin 3 as causes of a syndrome featuring high blood pressure and electrolyte abnormalities.
FIC-domain-mediated adenylylation is controlled by inter- or intramolecular disturbance of the ATP binding site by an α-helix; such inhibition seems to be universal and conserved through evolution.
Rather than turning off the biological response, desensitization of the cysteinyl leukotriene type I receptor sustains long-term signalling in the immune system.
The structures of CYP17A1 with steroid inhibitors abiraterone or TOK-001 provide a better understanding of the enzyme’s catalytic capabilities and inhibition, and hence assist in understanding steroidogenic diseases and designing drugs to improve the treatment of prostate and other steroid-responsive cancers.