The aperture of the stomatal pore is finely regulated by a range of external cues, and the underlying signalling events of this have been the subject of much investigation. A new study shows that elevation of cytosolic calcium is sufficient to induce stomatal closure and sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the regulation of stomatal aperture.

Hierarchical associations help animals navigate the environment by using contextual and latent states toguide learning and behavior. Chemogenetic inactivation in an occasion setting task reveals that orbitofrontal cortex is essential for implementing a hierarchical task structure, yet both orbitofrontal cortex and dorsal hippocampus are required for new learning based on the established task structure.

Memories can be decoded from brain responses and eye movements. A combined electroencephalogram-eyetracking study now shows that learning is marked by dynamic shifts in brain patterns and eye movements that go from remembering the past to anticipating the future.

Integrating noisy stimuli over time is crucial to making appropriate decisions. New studies in Drosophila revealed that threat responses can be flexibly modulated during courtship and mating. Towards the end of mating, flies adaptively prolong their threat integration time window.

It is currently unknown to what degree parents' life history can affect the next generation and how such information might be transmitted. A new study finds that nematodes transmit amyloid proteins to their progeny, which influence developmental processes.