Automated escape system: identifying prey's kinematic and behavioral features critical for predator evasion.

Identifying the kinematic and behavioral variables of prey that influence evasion from predator attacks remains challenging. To address this challenge, we have developed an automated escape system that responds quickly to an approaching predator and pulls the prey away from the predator rapidly, similar to real prey. Reaction distance, response latency, escape speed and other variables can be adjusted in the system. By repeatedly measuring the response latency and escape speed of the system, we demonstrated the system's ability to exhibit fast and rapid responses while maintaining consistency across successive trials. Using the live predatory fish species Coreoperca kawamebari, we show that escape speed and reaction distance significantly affect the outcome of predator-prey interactions. These findings indicate that the developed escape system is useful for identifying kinematic and behavioral features of prey that are critical for predator evasion, as well as for measuring the performance of predators.

A histopathological study on adrenal cysts in ferrets.

Adrenal disorders are common in ferrets, but there are few studies on cystic lesions of the adrenal gland. The present study describes pathological and immunohistochemical features of adrenal cysts in eleven ferrets and discusses their histogenesis. In nine of eleven cases examined, which included seven, one, and one right, left, and bilateral cases, respectively, cysts were in the adrenal cortex and lined with epithelial cells. These epithelial cells contained an Alcian blue-negative/PAS-positive material and were positive for cytokeratin (CK) 7. The staining pattern was similar to that of biliary epithelial cells in the ferret. In five of the cases, there were small ducts adjacent to the cysts that were positive for CK7 and CK20 and negative for CK19. Based on the anatomical proximity between the right adrenal and liver, the immunohistochemical features of the small duct cells were comparable to those of hepatic oval cells. These results indicate the possibility that these adrenocortical cysts in the ferret originated from the biliary system. In the other two cases, the cysts lacked an epithelial cell lining, and there were dilated lymphoid vessels around the cysts. These cysts were assumed to have developed in the adrenal medulla, because the cyst wall was positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and there were adrenal medullary cells positive for synaptophysin in the cyst wall. Therefore, the medullary cysts may have been associated with dilated vasculatures.

Neuromastoma of the hard palate mucosa in an Australian green tree frog (Litoria caerulea).

A hard palate mass was surgically removed from an Australian green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) and examined pathologically. The tumor consisted of sheets of small cells arranged in a tubular structure and cords or rosettes with fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells were diffusely positive for cytokeratin and neuron-specific enolase and partially positive for S-100 and doublecortin. These findings indicate that the tumor originated from the neuroectodermal tissue. Based on these findings, the tumor was classified as a neuromastoma (neuroepithelioma). Sensory cells located in the hard palate of the frog were considered to be the origin of the tumor. The frog died after going through 3 surgeries and experiencing difficulties closing its mouth.