Issues

Summary: An overview of the current knowledge of secretion-based, temporary adhesive systems in aquatic environments, with a special emphasis on duo-gland adhesive organs.

Summary: Human-induced changes in temperature, chemical discharge, eutrophication of water and the associated depletion of oxygen may disrupt the integration between circadian rhythms and other functions in animals. This possibility should be considered more thoroughly in studies addressing the environmental responses of animals.

Summary: UMATracker (Useful Multiple Animal Tracker): flexible image preprocessing by visual programming, multiple tracking algorithms and a manual tracking error-correction system.

Highlighted Article: By bending their body to reduce drag forces, garden eels – fish that feed while being anchored to the bottom – effectively feed on drifting zooplankton even when currents are strong.

Summary: Mice fed high-fat diets have reduced specific dynamic action and show improved reproductive performance, in agreement with predictions from the heat dissipation limitations theory.

Summary: Upper rate limits for one-to-one auditory–motor coordination do not occur because of a bottleneck of perceptual and biomechanical rate limits but as a result of constraints on the coordination process.

Summary: The mechanical properties of the dorsal aorta and the pulmonary artery during fasting and after feeding reveal increased pulmonary artery distensibility and elasticity during digestion, which possibly improves the Windkessel effect.

Summary: Experimentally testing the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis in a free-ranging mammal. Testosterone does not suppress immunity; instead immune activation suppresses testosterone.

Summary: Horizontal limb work at the hip characterizes fast walk-to-run transitions, whereas vertical knee-derived limb work occurs in slow walk-to-run transitions. Input of mechanical work is necessary in the walk-to-run transition even when decelerating.

Summary: In vitro high-speed imaging of avian sound production dynamics shows that electroglottography (EGG) can predict landmark parameters of syringeal motion.

Highlighted Article: Hagfish slime gland refilling is a lengthy process; new slime cells are produced in the epithelial lining of the slime gland, and are moved to the center of the gland as new cells are produced below them during refilling.