头部位移检测法动物悬尾实验仪的研制

采用红外传感、激光定位、51系列单片微机控制和记忆等技术,研制一种检测动物悬尾特性的仪器,用于药物研究中的动物悬尾实验。经30例小鼠实验证明,效果良好,该仪器为动物悬尾实验提供了一种全新的先进方法。     

微机控制自动微容量测试仪的研制

采用光电传感信号、步进马达抽送液系统5、1系列单片微机控制和记忆系统,研制一种用于检测微容量变化的仪器,用于药理实验中对动物肢体容积变化进行测定。经10例小鼠实验证明,效果良好,该仪器为测定动物肢体容积变化提供了一种全新的先进方法。     

用于实验动物的旋转行为监测仪

目的研制一种用于检测动物实验中动物旋转行为的旋转行为监测仪。方法采用串口控件、USB技术和旋转编码器等现代计算机、控制技术,并与传统的动物实验测量方法相结合,并配备了自行开发的基于VC的软件系统。结果研制出一台可连续性监测小型动物旋转行为仪器,智能显示记录动物的旋转行为。结论通过对实验数据的统计学分析,验证了系统的合理性、有效性。由此方法研制的旋转行为监测仪可在研究帕金森氏疾病的发病机制,筛选抗帕金森氏疾病的药物等方面发挥重要作用。     

数据记忆动物游泳测试仪的研制

目的研制一种用于检测动物负载游泳状况及过程的仪器,用于动物疲劳游泳试验。方法采用不同直径的可调换加载钢球、恒温水池、接近传感器信号转换、51系列单片微机控制和记忆信号。结果研制出一台可同时做六路平行实验的动物游泳测试仪,自动记忆动物在加载的情况下抗疲劳游泳的全过程。结论经36例小鼠实验证明,效果良好,该仪器为动物负载游泳实验提供了一种全新的测试方法。     

动物行为学实验带教探索与实践

目的：为提高实验教学和科研工作的质量和效果,结合国家重点实验室有利条件,从行为学实验培训角度以培养实验技术人员基本实验技能为重点。方法：安排学生学习行为医学发展史、熟练行为学动物生命观、基本实验仪器操作以及鼓励实验技术人员自行研制行为检测制仪器等课程。结果：实验技术人员了解了现代行为学的发展,掌握常规的实验方法,培养了科学的思维方式,同时也激发了实验技术人员发挥主观能动性,实现理论和技术的结合。结论：多途径带教培训有利于实验技术人员行为学实验工作打下牢固的基础。     

小鼠疲劳记录仪的研制

小鼠疲劳记录仪的研制魏明成,何青,杨一挥成都中医药大学６１００７５四川省寄生虫病防治研究所我校药学科研人员研究了一种抗疲劳的新药。为了证实药效,急需一种“小鼠疲劳记录仪”。在科仪市场反复调查,没有适用的专用仪器。一般的实验动物生理仪在小鼠受检测时活动...     

自记录动物挂杠持久度测试装置的研制

目的：研制一种检测动物挂杠持久度的实验装置,用于相关医药研究中的动物静态抗疲劳实验。方法采用51系列单片微机控制和记忆,光耦传感器、电磁水阀等组合控制电路和技术。结果成功研制出一种适用于医学及药学研究领域的带微机控制和自记忆功能的动物挂杠持久度实验装置,经28例小白鼠实验证明,效果良好。结论该实验装置为动物抗疲劳实验提供了一种全新的方法。     

植物瞬时生长速率测定仪的研制

用差动变压器(LVDT)作为传感元件,制成植物延仲生长瞬时生长速率测定仪,具有线性好、测量快速准确、使用方便等优点,是测定植物瞬时生长速率的一种新的仪器和方法。文中介绍了这种测定仪的基本原理和结构,以及作者研制的ZS-Ⅱ型植物瞬时生长速率测定仪的主要性能和实测结果。     

成都仪器厂生物信号采集与处理系统等产品简介

Rm6240B／C、Rm6280C、Rm62160C生理记录仪暨生物信号采集与处理系统是成都仪器厂研制的新一代医学实验设备,产品获得了医疗仪器准产注册证、计量器具生产许可证等有关证照,符合医疗仪器及药品监督管理的有关法规。隔离型产品既可用于人体实验也可用于动物实验。     

实验动物用机械测痛仪的研制

目的研制一种疼痛研究中实验动物用的电子式机械测痛仪器。方法通过分析传统机械测痛仪在疼痛神经胜利测量实验中存在的缺陷和不足,本设计选用高精度触力传感器,设计信号采集与处理电路,并配备自行研发编制的基于VC的应用软件,最终完成对疼痛阈值的测量、存储和显示。结果研制出适用于机械痛测量的电子测痛仪,可方便快速实现测量疼痛阈值。结论实验测试表明,本文研制研制的测痛仪稳定性好、测量准确性高;测量结果不受测量环境湿度、温度的影响,从而克服了传统测痛方法的缺陷,为研究分析神经性疼痛的发病机理、评估镇痛药物的治疗效果提供可靠的技术支持。     

Stealing of dunked food in Carib grackles (Quiscalus lugubris)

The use of tool or tool-like food processing behaviours can render animals vulnerable to theft (kleptoparasitism) because (1) large, nutritious items are usually involved, (2) value is added to the food due to long and/or complex handling, and (3) physical control of items is often temporarily lost during handling. In Barbados, Carib grackles (Quiscalus lugubris) immersing items in water before consumption (a behaviour known as food dunking) lose a larger proportion of items to conspecific food thieves than grackles that do not dunk. In this paper, we first show that dunking in Carib grackles functions as a proto-tool food-processing technique that speeds up ingestion. We then examine five potential predictors of kleptoparasitism: only conspecific density and loss of physical control on food were found to influence the probability that birds would be attacked and successfully robbed of food by conspecifics. Grackles could reduce the probability of kleptoparasitism by holding items in the bill while dunking and engaging in head-up displays. These behaviours were used flexibly depending on variation in the risk of kleptoparasitism. We suggest that costs like the ones incurred from theft might limit the profitability and frequency of tool and proto-tool food processing behaviours, creating a context where counter-strategies might be selected.     

Resource defence and dominance hierarchy in the boto (Inia geoffrensis) during a provisioning program

Aggression is often utilised in intraspecific competition to establish and maintain dominance hierarchies in social mammals. Here, we determine if aggressiveness in conditioned botos (Inia geoffrensis) during interactions with humans under provisioning is influenced by the presence or absence of food rewards and if provisioning leads to the establishment of a dominance hierarchy among these generally solitary animals. Mean values of bites among the botos for sessions in which food rewards were delivered were significantly higher than sessions in which no food reward was delivered. No significant difference exists between the mean number of bites per individual during feeding sessions, but the mean number of bites increased significantly with time when animals were not fed. Supplant behaviours were used as a non-harming alternative to bites. The botos’ provisioning is a case of instrumental conditioning, in which the conditioned botos expect to receive food from tourists, increasing competition among the animals when they are not fed. The provisioned botos exhibited an almost linear dominance hierarchy. Bites and supplant behaviours were used more frequently by dominant botos to prevent subordinates from obtaining food provisions. Interactions brought about by provisioning are likely to be harmful to the botos and potentially dangerous to humans.     

Causes of obesity in captive cynomolgus macaques: influence of body condition, social and management factors on behaviour around feeding

Similar to other primate species, captive cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are prone to becoming overweight. The relationship between body condition and feeding behaviour in group-housed animals has not been reported. This study evaluated the effect of daily feeding routines on behaviour patterns in cynomolgus macaques to determine whether overweight macaques displayed different behaviours and activity levels. In this prospective observational study, 16 macaques (m = 4, f = 12) from four separate troops (n = 4 per troop) were selected from a colony of 165 animals. Observational data were collected over six months during morning and afternoon feedings by scan sampling. Behaviours of interest included foraging, eating, aggressive and positive social interactions, inactivity and physical activities. Multivariable mixed logistic regression modelling was used for data analysis. Results indicated that overweight animals were more likely to be inactive, dominant animals had increased probabilities of eating compared with non-dominants, and aggressive behaviours were more likely to occur in the morning and before feeding, suggesting feeding anticipation. Positive social interaction before feeding was seen and may be a strategy used to avoid aggressive encounters around food resources. Individual animal caregivers had an unintentional impact on behaviour, as decreased eating and an increase in inactivity were noted when certain individuals fed animals. These findings illustrate the complexities of feeding group-housed cynomolgus macaques to avoid overweight body condition. Feeding routines may require more care and attention to distribute food in a way that ensures equitable food intake among troop animals, while not disturbing group cohesion.     

Feeding and drinking responses in the golden hamster following treatment with cholecystokinin and angiotensin II

Drinking and feeding behaviours of female golden hamsters were examined following intracerebroventricular injections of angiotensin II or systemic and intracerebroventricular injections of cholecystokinin octapeptide. Injections of angiotensin II into the brain produced a dose-dependent drinking response in water repleted animals. Systemically, a low dose (0.5 microgram/kg body wt) of cholecystokinin was ineffective at reducing food intake of fasted animals during a 1 hr test. Larger peripheral doses (1.0 to 4.0 microgram/kg body wt), however, were effective at decreasing food intake. Injected in the lateral cerebral ventricle, nanogram doses of cholecystokinin decreased food consumption in a dose dependent manner. These results are discussed in relation to how these peptides regulate feeding and drinking behaviours in other species.     

Toxins induce ‘malaise’ behaviour in the honeybee (Apis mellifera)

To avoid poisoning and death when toxins are ingested, the body responds with a suite of physiological detoxification mechanisms accompanied by behaviours that in mammals often include vomiting, nausea, and lethargy. Few studies have characterised whether insects exhibit characteristic ‘malaise-like’ behaviours in response to intoxication. Here, we used the honeybee to investigate how intoxication produced by injection or ingestion with three toxins with different pharmacological modes of action quinine, amygdalin, and lithium chloride affected behaviour. We found that toxin-induced changes in behaviour were best characterised by more time spent grooming. Bees also had difficulty performing the righting reflex and exhibited specific toxin-induced behaviours such as abdomen dragging and curling up. The expression of these behaviours also depended on whether a toxin had been injected or ingested. When toxins were ingested, they were least 10 times less concentrated in the haemolymph than in the ingested food, suggesting that their absorption through the gut is strongly regulated. Our data show that bees exhibit changes in behaviour that are characteristic of ‘malaise’ and suggest that physiological signalling of toxicosis is accomplished by multiple post-ingestive pathways in animals.     

Experimental provisioning increases play in free-ranging meerkats

The sensitivity of play to variations in food availability has been cited as evidence of the costliness of play, since energetically stressed animals dispense with costly behaviours. However, the causality of the relationship between nutrition and play has not been adequately tested. Using weight gain as a measure of food intake, we documented the food consumption of free-ranging meerkat, Suricata suricatta, pups and found that long-term nutritional status (weight gain over a 6-week period) was positively correlated with rates of play. We confirmed the causality of this relationship by conducting long-term (4-8 weeks) provisioning experiments that raised the nutritional status of experimental pups, subadults and adults. Experimental animals more than doubled their rate of play compared with their nonprovisioned controls. Short-term variations in food consumption (daily weight gain) were not correlated with subsequent rates of play, and we used a short-term feeding experiment to document the transitory effects of hunger satiation. We established that an increase in available energy contributed to the increase in rates of play, rather than the animals simply having more time available to play as a result of being released from the constraints of foraging. We conclude that play in meerkats was energetically costly, and must be adaptive given that the cost of play to juveniles (in terms of future reproductive success) was potentially high. Copyright 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.