Semen collection efficiency using an artificial vagina plastic liner

A one-piece plastic single-service liner and collection cone has been developed and tested for use in the bovine artificial vagina semen collection method. The plastic liner was found to be equal to the standard rubber liner in terms of ejaculate volume and more efficient in terms of spermatozoa reaching the collection tube. Additionally, ejaculate volume had a smaller effect on collection efficiency with plastic liners than with standard rubber liners.     

Experimental animal urine collection: a review

Animal urine collection is a vital part of veterinary practice for ascertaining animal health and in scientific investigations for assessing the results of experimental manipulations. Untainted animal urine collection is very challenging, especially with small rodents, and is an almost impossible task under conditions of microgravity. The fundamental aspects of urine collection are: (1) ease of collection, (2) quality of sample, (3) prevention of contamination, (4) severity of procedures used, (5) levels of pain caused to the animal and (6) refinement of methods to reduce stress, pain or distress. This review addresses the collection of urine for qualitative and quantitative purposes from rodents, rabbits, felines, canines, avian species, equines, porcines, ungulates and certain non-human primates, with animal welfare in mind. Special emphasis has been given to rodents, canines and non-human primates, since they are the animals of choice for research purposes. Free catch (voluntary voiding), methods with mild intervention, surgical methods, modified restraint, cage and special requirement methods have been reviewed here. Efforts need to be taken to provide appropriate animal husbandry and to nurture the animals in as natural an environment as possible since experimental results obtained from these research subjects are, to a great extent, dependent upon their well-being. A continuous refinement in the procedures for collecting urine from experimental animals will be the most efficient way of proceeding in obtaining pure urine specimens for obtaining reliable research data.     

Single-mouse urine collection and pH monitoring system.

A glass cage with minimal surface area was designed and used to house mice for 24-hour urine collections. An experiment was performed with a radio-labeled compound excreted in the urine to assess the collection efficiency of the cage. In this experiment 74.2 +/- 6.5% of the excreted radioactivity was recovered in the urine, with 25.8 +/- 6.5% found adhering to the cage surfaces. When a flow-through pH electrode, meter, and recorder were attached, the system provided a continuous pH versus time urination record.     

Continuous complete collection of uncontaminated urine in conscious rodents.

We describe a novel technique for complete and continuous bladder urine collection in conscious unrestrained rats. After urethral ligation, a silastic catheter is placed through a flexible steel tether, tunneled subcutaneously from the posterior neck area to a suprapubic incision, and inserted and fixed into the exposed urinary bladder. The catheter drains by gravity into a dependent collecting vessel protected from contamination by feces or food.     

半干旱黄土高原地区春小麦地膜覆盖研究概述

在黄土高原半干旱地区春小麦上进行的地膜覆盖试验表明,地膜覆盖通过改善耕层土壤生态环境条件,即通过改善水,热状况,活化土壤养分,对提高水分和养分利用效率,实现粮食增产具有重要作用,但近年来在生产实践和科学实验中发现,不合理的长期全生育期地膜覆盖,因在作物生长前期和中期覆膜作物较不覆膜作物生长好,覆膜作物在生长期水分蒸腾损失严重,土壤水分的蒸散（蒸发＋蒸腾）损失远比不覆膜土壤严重,在作物生长后期降水少或没有补充灌溉时,会产生严重的水分肋迫现象,显著抑制小穗分化和灌浆,最终导致收获得指数和产量下降,同时,地膜覆盖的增产作用在一定程度上是以耗竭土壤肥力,特别是在有机物质为代 的,因此,不正确的地膜覆盖（如全生育期的地膜覆盖）,不仅有时起不到显著的增产作用,而且易造成土壤养分,特别是土壤中硝态氮的累积和损失,肥料利用效率降低,土壤生态条件恶化,下降,难以持续高产,因此在确定地膜覆盖范式时,必须要考虑底墒,作物生育期降水,地膜覆盖的阶段性和氮肥的施用等。     

Systems for collection of urine in the captive common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus

Two systems are described for the collection of 24 h urine samples from the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). Using 84 adult animals, 1210 24-h samples were collected. Mean urinary excretion was 14.4 +/- 7.5 ml/24 h (n = 1210, mean +/- SD). No differences were observed between sexes (for 52 females, 24 h volume = 15.1 +/- 8.0 ml; for 32 males, 24 h volume = 12.5 +/- 6.0 ml). No significant differences were observed between pregnant and non-pregnant females with respect to 24 h urine volume, and bilateral gonadectomy did not influence subsequent urinary excretion in either sex. For 161 pairs of observations, the intake of drinking water (11.7 +/- 10.2 ml/24 h) and the volume of urine excreted (12.6 +/- 7.1 ml/24 h) showed a positive correlation (r = 0.406 d.f. 159, P less than 0.001: y = 0.558x + 4.247).     

A simple, reliable and inexpensive method for the collection of rat urine.

Aluminum foil attached to the bottom of hanging-type rat cages approximately 10 cm from the front of the cage was used for collecting rat urine. Most urine samples were obtained within 1 hour of placing the rat in the cage.     

Validity of the first morning urine collection for screening for microalbuminuria in the diabetic

With the aim of evaluating the reliability of morning urine collection, compared to the overnight period, in the assessment of microalbuminuria, we measured albumin and creatinine concentration in overnight and morning urine of 125 diabetic outpatients. The overnight albumin excretion rate resulted in relation to morning albumin concentration and morning albumin/creatinine ratio. The sensitivity of this method of urine collection, compared to the overnight sample, was 55.5%, the specificity 96.6% and the predictive value 43% using, as a measure, the albumin concentration. These values improved by correcting albumin for creatinine concentration. Concerning high risk albuminuria (overnight excretion rate greater than 30 micrograms/min), we found a sensitivity and predictive value of the first morning collection highly improved by the albumin/creatinine ratio. It is concluded that the first morning urine collection can be used in the diagnosis of microalbuminuria in diabetic patients, especially when we calculate the albumin/creatinine ratio. This simple and reliable method allows the identification of microalbuminuric subjects and of the patients at risk to develop clinical nephropathy with a good sensitivity.     

Immunodiagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis using urine samples

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is one of the most lethal zoonotic parasitic infections. The diagnosis is based on the combination of the abdominal imaging including CT, MRI and PET, and serology. To develop a new diagnostic tool for AE with urine as samples, mouse-Echinococcus multilocularis (Em) model and then human cases were studied. The antibody levels of urine and serum samples from the infected mice and AE cases were well correlated with each other. The sensitivity and specificity of the method with urine were 91% and 98%, respectively, when IgG4 to crude Em was examined. Comparing with serum samples, the collection of urine is easier and safer and the urine diagnostic tool makes surveys of this silent disease easier.     

The Edinburgh Mouse Atlas: using the CD

This paper provides a simple introduction to the reconstructions and data-handling tools stored on the Edinburgh Mouse Atlas CD, together with some of the ways in which the viewers and software can be used to understand mouse development and analyse data. The key aspect of the Mouse Atlas is that the underlying models are a complete representation of the histology, which has not been constrained to a particular interpretation. This means, for example, that the current anatomy domains can be further subdivided as required to any resolution up to the resolution of the models (2-7 microm). In the CD of the early embryos described here, virtually all tissues that can be usefully distinguished either by the histology or morphologically have been delineated.     

Comparative urine protein phenotyping using mass spectrometric immunoassay

Reported here, human urine samples were analyzed for beta-2-microglobulin (beta2m), transthyretin (TTR), cystatin C, urine protein 1 (UP1), retinol binding protein (RBP), albumin, transferrin, and human neutrophil defensin peptides (HNP) using mass spectrometric immunoassay (MSIA). MSIA is a unique analytical technique, which allows for the generation of distinct protein profiles of specific target proteins from each subject, which may be subsequently used in comparative protein expression profiling between all subjects. Comparative profiling allows for the rapid identification of variations within individual protein expression profiles. Although the majority of analyses performed in this study revealed homology between study participants, roughly one-quarter showed variation in the protein profiles. Some of these observed variants included a point mutation in TTR, absence of wild-type RBP, monomeric forms UP1, a novel beta2m glycated end product and altered HNP ratios. MSIA has been previously used in the analysis of blood proteins, but this study shows how MSIA easily transitions to the analysis, of urine samples. This study displays how qualitative urine protein differentiation is readily achievable with MSIA and is useful in identifying proteomic differences between subjects that might be otherwise overlooked with other analytical techniques due to complexity of the resulting data or insufficient sensitivity.