Manual Restraint and Common Compound Administration Routes in Mice and Rats

Being able to safely and effectively restrain mice and rats is an important part of conducting research. Working confidently and humanely with mice and rats requires a basic competency in handling and restraint methods. This article will present the basic principles required to safely handle animals. One-handed, two-handed, and restraint with specially designed restraint objects will be illustrated. Often, another part of the research or testing use of animals is the effective administration of compounds to mice and rats. Although there are a large number of possible administration routes (limited only by the size and organs of the animal), most are not used regularly in research. This video will illustrate several of the more common routes, including intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, and oral gavage. The goal of this article is to expose a viewer unfamiliar with these techniques to basic restraint and substance administration routes. This video does not replace required hands-on training at your facility, but is meant to augment and supplement that training.     

艾灸"足三里"、"关元"对模拟低住高练大鼠诱导缺氧因子和有氧运动能力的影响

摘要 目的：探讨艾灸对模拟高原训练低住高练大鼠有氧运动能力的影响及作用机制。方法：40只雄性Wistar大鼠随机分为A、B、C、D四组。A组：大鼠处于(13.5±0.5%)O₂环境自由游泳至溺水后，取双侧"足三里""关元"进行干预，每穴每日灸15 min；B组：训练方法同A组，不予艾灸干预；C组：艾灸方法同A组，不予训练；D组：不进行任何干预。测量大鼠体质量、四肢抓力、首次溺水时长、一次性力竭心电图及血红蛋白、促红细胞生成素、血管内皮生长因子含量，观察骨骼肌组织形态，检测希佩尔-林道蛋白(PVHL)、转录延伸蛋白转录延伸蛋白干预。测量、诱导缺氧因子1(HIF-Ⅰα)蛋白表达水平。结果：各组未出现死亡等异常情况，体质量稳定增加，且组间比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)；四肢抓力比较F _A >F _C >F _B >F _D (P＜0.05)；首次溺水游泳时间中A组较B、C、D组时间延长(P＜0.05)；ECG显示HR _A ＜HR _C ＜HR _B ＜HR _D 、一次性力竭时间S _A ＜S _C ＜S _B ＜S _D 、心脏系数MB>M _A >M _D >M _C 、T波T _B >T _A 、ST段STB>STA(P＜0.05)；HB含量检测显示：与D组比较，A组最高，C组其次，B组最小(P＜0.05)；与D组比较，B组EPO、VEGF降低(P＜0.05)、C组EPO、VEGF增高(P＜0.05)，与A组比较，B、C组EPO、VEGF降低(P＜0.05)；A组骨骼肌较B、C、D三组排列整齐，肌纤维直径均匀且排列整齐紧密。与D组比较，A组大鼠HIF-Ⅰα含量最高，B组其次，C组最小(P＜0.05)；与D组比较，A组PVHL、Elongin-β表达最低、B组其次、C组最小(P＜0.05)。结论：艾灸"足三里""关元"可提升大鼠有氧运动能力；其机制可能与改善模拟低住高练大鼠改善肌纤维结构紊乱和缓解心脏代偿有关。     

生物工程专业校企协同人才培养模式的创新与实践

伴随着我国生物工程相关行业的高质量发展，与之相关的人才需求及培养质量也受到广泛关注。为解决高校生物工程专业人才培养工作未能紧密契合行业企业所需等方面的不足，切实发挥专业特色，有效深化校企合作，促使专业建设与产业发展相适应，南京多所高校生物工程专业围绕培养“品行正、学习好、能力强”人才，立足学科比较优势，大力推行并持续优化校企协同人才培养模式，突出科产教融合，注重创新教育教学方法、提质工程实践教育。前期育人成效表明，该模式提升了学生的工程实践能力和综合素养，得到了用人单位和学生等的认可。     

Surveying trends in radiation oncology medical physics in the Asia Pacific Region

ObjectiveOur study aims to assess and track work load, working conditions and professional recognition of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) in the Asia Pacific Region over time.MethodsA structured questionnaire was mailed in 2008, 2011 and 2014 to senior medical physicists representing 23 countries. The questionnaire covers 7 themes: education and training including certification; staffing; typical tasks; professional organisations; resources; research and teaching; job satisfaction.ResultsAcross all surveys the response rate was >85% with the replies representing practice affecting more than half of the world’s population. The expectation of ROMP qualifications (MSc and between 1 and 3 years of clinical experience) has not changed much over the years.However, compared to 2008, the number of medical physicists in many countries has doubled. Formal professional certification is only available in a small number of countries. The number of experienced ROMPs is small in particular in low and middle income countries. The increase in staff numbers from 2008 to 2014 is matched by a similar increase in the number of treatment units which is accompanied by an increase in treatment complexity. Many ROMPs are required to work overtime and not many find time for research. Resource availability has only improved marginally and ROMPs still feel generally overworked, but professional recognition, while varying widely, appears to be improving slowly.ConclusionWhile number of physicists and complexity of treatment techniques and technologies have increased significantly, ROMP practice remains essentially unchanged over the last 6 years in the Asia Pacific Region.     

A comparison of muscle activity of the dominant and non-dominant side of the body during low versus high loaded bench press exercise performed to muscular failure

The main aim of the study was to compare the peak surface electromyography (sEMG) amplitude of muscles during low and high loaded bench press exercises performed to muscular failure on the dominant and non-dominant body side. Ten resistance-trained healthy males with at least six-year experience in resistance training (27.7 ± 5.6 years, 81.1 ± 5.8 kg and 175.3 ± 5.2 cm, bench press one-repetition maximum [1RM] = 98.9 ± 7.1 kg) performed the bench press at 50% and at 90%1RM. The differences in peak sEMG amplitude between body-sides and the external loads were recorded for the pectoralis major (PM), anterior deltoid (AD), and the long head of the triceps brachii (TB) during each attempt. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed statistically significant main effect of side for AD (p < 0.001) and TB (p < 0.001) but not for PM (p = 0.168) and a significant main effect of load for TB (p < 0.001) but not for AD and PM (p = 0.229; p = 0.072; respectively). The post-hoc analysis for the main effect of side showed significantly higher peak sEMG amplitude for the dominant side compared to the non-dominant side for AD and TB at 50%1RM and 90%1RM (p < 0.001; all) with no statistically significant differences for PM (p = 0.187; p = 0.155; both loads). The post-hoc analysis for the main effect of load for TB revealed a significantly higher peak sEMG amplitude at 90%1RM compared to the 50%1RM (p = 0.009). The obtained results indicate that regardless of the external load, the peak sEMG activity of the AD, PM, and TB during the bench press exercise performed to muscular failure was higher on the dominant body-side.     

Inspiratory muscular activation during threshold therapy in elderly healthy and patients with COPD

Inspiratory muscles training in COPD is controversial not only in relation to the load level required to produce muscular conditioning effects but also in relation to the group of patients benefiting from the training. Consequently, inspiratory muscular response assessment during Threshold^® therapy may help optimizing training strategy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the participation of the diaphragm and the sternocleidomastoid (SMM) muscle to overcome with a 30% Threshold^® load using surface electromyography (sEMG) and to analyze the correlation between SMM activation, maximum strength level of inspiratory muscles (MIP) and obstruction degree in COPD patients (FEV₁). We studied seven healthy elderly subjects, mean age of 68 ± 4 years and seven COPD patients, FEV₁ 45 ± 17% of the predicted value, with mean age 66 ± 8 years. sEMG analysis of SMM muscles and diaphragm were obtained through RMS (root-mean-square) during three stages: pre-loading, loading and post-loading.

Results

In the COPD group, the RMS of the SMM increased 28% during load (p < 0.05) while the RMS of the diaphragm remained constant. In the elderly there was a trend of a 11% increase in diaphragm activity and of 7% in SMM activity but, without reaching significance levels. SMM activity demonstrated good correlation with the obstruction level (r = −0.537).

Conclusion

To overcome the load required by Threshold^® therapy, COPD patients demonstrated an increase of accessory muscles activity, represented by SMM. For the same relative load this increase seems to be proportional to the degree of pulmonary obstruction.     

Strength gains in obese females are unaffected by moderate dietary restriction

This study examined the effects of dietary restriction on strength gains from whole body resistance training. Comparisons were made between diet-restricted (n = 12) and non-diet-restricted (n = 10) obese women (mean +/- SD, 36.7 +/- 7.0% fat) undergoing identical 8-week resistance training regimens. Diet-restricted subjects reduced their dietary intake by 4200 kJ/day and reduced body mass by 3.9 kg over 8 weeks. Ten-repetition maximum masses were compared between the groups on biweekly intervals. Results indicated no differences between the groups with respect to the rate or magnitude of strength gains for any of the eight exercises. Significant pre- to post-test increases in strength (p less than 0.05) were found for all eight exercises. The rate or magnitude of strength gains induced by resistance training does not appear to be affected by moderate dietary restrictions in obese females.     

Performance and reference data in the jump squat at different relative loads in elite sprinters,rugby players,and soccer players

The aims of this study were to compare the outcomes and provide reference data for a set of barbell mechanical parameters collected via a linear velocity transducer in 126 male sprinters (n = 62), rugby players (n = 32), and soccer players (n = 32). Bar-velocity, bar-force, and bar-power outputs were assessed in the jump-squat exercise with jump-squat height determined from bar-peak velocity. The test started at a load of 40% of the athletes’ body mass (BM), and a load of 10% of BM was gradually added until a clear decrement in the bar power was observed. Comparisons of bar variables among the three sports were performed using a one-way analysis of variance. Relative measures of bar velocity, force, and power, and jump-squat height were significantly higher in sprinters than in rugby (difference ranging between 5 and 35%) and soccer (difference ranging between 5 and 60%) players across all loads (40–110% of BM). Rugby players exhibited higher absolute bar-power (mean difference = 22%) and bar-force (mean difference = 16%) values than soccer players, but these differences no longer existed when the data were adjusted for BM (mean difference = 2.5%). Sprinters optimized their bar-power production at significantly greater relative loads (%BM) than rugby (mean difference = 22%) and soccer players (mean difference = 25%); nonetheless, all groups generated their maximum bar-power outputs at similar bar velocities. For the first time, we provided reference values for the jump-squat exercise for three different bar-velocity measures (i.e., mean, mean propulsive, and peak velocity) for sprinters, rugby players, and soccer players, over a wide range of relative loads. Practitioners can use these reference values to monitor their athletes and compare them with top-level sprinters and team-sport players.     

Getting ready for malaria elimination: a check list of critical issues to consider

In recent years, a renewed interest in malaria elimination and eradication has emerged and seems to be rooting in the minds of the scientific community, public health specialists, funding bodies, policy makers and politicians. Malaria eradication will certainly benefit from improved and innovative tools; notwithstanding novel knowledge in fields ranging from basic science to mathematical modelling and health systems research. However, the elimination of malaria also encompasses a broad range of essential aspects that countries and other actors need to consider when thinking of embarking on such an adventure, including the implementation of innovative strategies, the ability to incorporate the most up-to-date evidence into policy, the integration of malaria into the broader health agenda, the strengthening of surveillance and health systems, capacity building, funding, advocacy and, very importantly, research. While in some cases this enthusiasm is clearly justified, some countries are still a long way from realistically advancing towards elimination. This paper attempts to provide guidance on all the necessary issues that should be considered when initiating a malaria elimination program.