Issues

Summary: We propose that the term ‘yank’ should be used to denote the time derivative of force; this will help elucidate the function of multi-scale structures and processes throughout the sensorimotor system.

Summary: This Review focuses on the diversity of the kinematics and neural control of escape responses and other accelerative motions that are of fundamental importance for predator–prey interactions and in other behavioural contexts.

Summary: Electrocardiogram-gated MRI was used to visualize the cardiac cycle and blood volume movement in red footed tortoises without the need for surgery; the determined ejection fraction was over 80%.

Summary: Methods to determine the oxygen level that limits aerobic metabolism by fishes were evaluated, resulting in specific recommendations for future research.

Highlighted Article: Qualitative and quantitative links between active deformations of the biosonar emission and reception structures (noseleaves and pinnae) in bats are demonstrated. These relationships could be a substrate for synergistic dynamic encoding of sensory information.

Summary: Birds independently evolved super black (broadband, low-reflectance) plumage next to bright colors in 15 different families; this may be a sexually selected optical illusion to make nearby colors appear brighter.

Summary: Production of ascaroside pheromones by two Steinernema nematode species is differentially affected by bacterial symbionts, indicating a possible influence of the symbionts on the sex-specific and social behaviors of these entomopathogens.

Summary: During acute hypoxia, the euryhaline killifish increases ventilation and decreases heart rate, gill diffusive water flux, paracellular permeability and drinking rate, but incurs a salinity-dependent net water balance penalty.

Summary: Antimicrobial skin peptides are important for disease protection of frogs; cold temperatures and chytrid fungal infections impair the ability of juvenile southern leopard frogs (Rana sphenocephala) to restore depleted peptides.

Summary: Telomere length in hibernating arctic ground squirrels shows a decrease in brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, suggesting that rewarming over periodic arousals may cause localized attrition.

Summary: Longitudinal gait analysis, micro-CT and computational models show structural parameters may be the primary determinant of bone strength in the growing rodent tibia, and occur in order to minimize tensile strains during locomotion.

Summary: A long-lived seabird, the thick-billed murre, demonstrated a lack of ‘normal’ physiological aging, showing no changes with age in various oxidative stress parameters and muscle fiber diameter; however, there was a decline in myonuclear domain with age.

Summary: Honey bees caged for experimental purposes show significant alteration of their gene regulation and oxidative stress compared with their sister-mates operating under natural hive conditions.

Summary: High-speed video analysis of jumping in a species of scorpion fly shows that it uses the middle and hind legs for propulsion. Accompanying movements of the wings contribute little to take-off.

Summary: A potential role for methionine in the application of new feeding strategies, such as nutritional programming, to optimize the nutrition and health of farmed fish.

Summary: Comparative findings of two phylogenetically related species (Formosan wood mice and C57BL/6J mice) indicate differences in behavioral responses, especially in the locomotor and exploratory activities in an open field test.

Summary: Many lizards possess potentially mobile skulls, but how jaw muscles and joint tissues mediate this mobility is unclear. FEA of the biomechanics of protractor muscles, joint tissues, and bite points reveals that torsion is a significant driver in the feeding apparatus of lizard skulls.

Summary: In Dugesia tigrina, complex I and the ADP phosphorylation system are involved in the loss of oxidative phosphorylation capacity when temperature decreases. These steps are able to adjust following cold acclimation, allowing the animals to occupy a wide thermal range.