This column article discusses the impact of Robert Boutillier and Graham Shelton's 1986 Journal of Experimental Biology paper "Gas exchange, storage and transport in voluntarily diving Xenopus laevis."

Article explores the ‘membrane pacemaker’ hypothesis which proposes a biochemical explanation for among-species variation in resting metabolism, based on the positive correlation between membrane docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and metabolic rate. The authors tested this hypothesis using a novel model, altricial red-winged blackbird nestlings, predicting that the proportion of DHA in muscle and liver membranes should increase with the increasing metabolic rate of the nestling as it develops endothermy. In support of the membrane pacemaker hypothesis, DHA proportions increased in membranes from pectoralis muscle, muscle mitochondria and liver during post-hatch development. By contrast, elevated dietary DHA had no effect on resting metabolic rate, despite causing significant changes to membrane lipid composition.

This article is a study using crude oil as an example of an environmental stressor in adult zebrafish. The offspring obtained were then assessed for transgenerational epigenetic transfer of oil-induced phenotypes. The authors conclude that epigenetic transgenerational inheritance can lead to an immediate and simultaneous inheritance of both beneficial and maladaptive traits in a large proportion of the F1 larvae. The adaptive responses may help fish populations survive when facing transient environmental stressors.

Article describes study which investigated the importance of atrial contraction in filling of the ventricle in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) by bypassing both atria (with the use of ligatures to prevent atrial filling) and measuring the resultant effects on cardiac output in anesthetized animals.

This article is a study investigating the blood flow patterns and heart rate in surfacing and during graded, submerged swimming activity in common snapping turtles. The effects of beta-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor blockade on blood flow and heart rate during these activities are also studied.

Article describes a study in which a novel high-throughput ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method was established to quantify the levels of 19 flavonoids and 15 other phenolic compounds, including acids, aldehydes, and alcohols.

Article shows that the mechanism of anthocyanin and proanthocyanin (PA) accumulation in M. truncatula is different from that in A. thaliana, and provides a new target gene for engineering anthocyanins in plants.

This article reports that in addition to the well-documented functional plasticity of the lingual salt glands, the middle of the three cloacal segments (i.e. the urodaeum) responds to increased ambient salinity to enhance solute-coupled water absorption in estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus).

Article testing the hypothesis that preferential pHi regulation is a widespread strategy of acid–base regulation among fish by measuring pHi regulation in 10 different fish species that are broadly phylogenetically separated, spanning six orders, eight families and 10 genera.

Article exploring how to improve oil production in Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.).

Article develops Trichoderma reesei (Hypocrea jecorina) as a microbial cell factory for the heterologous expression of fungal secondary metabolites.

This article is a commentary on coordinated use of methyl marks to remodel both the epigenome and the (epi)cytoskeleton, which opens the possibility for integrated regulation (referred to as ‘epiregulation’) of other higher-level functions, such as muscle contraction or learning and memory, and could even have evolutionary implications.

Article investigating the transgenerational inheritance from both parental lines in zebrafish. Adult zebrafish were separated into female and male groups exposed for 21 days to either a control diet or to a diet containing water accommodated fractions of crude oil. To determine the maternal and paternal influence on their offspring, the authors evaluated responses from molecular to whole organismal levels in both generations.

Article investigating the effect of embryonic hypoxia on the cardiovascular phenotype of 4-year-old American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). The findings indicate that embryonic hypoxia in crocodilians alters the cardiovascular phenotype, changing the juvenile response to acute hypoxia and β-adrenergic stimulation.

Article measuring blood parameters in the left aortae and atria of crocodilians. The findings do not support the hypothesis that a R–L shunt serves to deliver CO2 for the gastrointestinal system after feeding in crocodilians.

Article studying water regulation during hypoxia in euryhaline killifish.

Article describes SERCA activity in the pectoralis muscle and heart ventricle of red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) nestlings, fledglings and adults. Additionally, using a diet manipulation, the authors tested the hypothesis that muscle SERCA activity is affected by dietary fatty acid composition, as has been shown in some previous studies.

This article provides a commentary on several sets of reported curve-fit parameters for the Modified Apelblat model that do not correctly back-calculate the observed solubility behavior of L-norvaline in the binary aqueous-alcohol solvent mixtures.

This article provides a commentary on the published equation coefficients for mathematically describing the solubility behavior of D-sorbitol in binary acetonitrile + ethanol solvent mixtures using the modified Apelblat, Combined Nearly Ideal Binary Solvent/Redlich-Kister (CNIBS/R-K) and Jouyban-Acree models.

This article provides a commentary on Redlich-Kister equation coefficients for binary benzene + cyanex 923 and xylene + cyanex 923.

This article reports on the reanalysis of reported calculations on solubility data of 2-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine in binary ethanol + 1-propanol solvent mixtures at various temperatures, and several additional points regarding the correlations.

This article comments on mathematical errors pertaining to published equation coefficients for the modified Apelblat and for the polynomial equation based on the Combined Jouyban-Acree and modified Apelblat models.

This article presents results of molybdenum disulfide monolayer (MoS₂) growth by strategically placing water droplets on the growth substrate and/or in the source prior to its loading in the growth chamber.

This article identifies misconceptions in microbiology held by undergraduate students upon entry into an introductory, general microbiology course.