Director, Laboratory Animal Care and Use Section

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The NIAMS Laboratory Animal Care and Use Section (LACU) provides support to all NIAMS Intramural Research Program (IRP) Branches and Laboratories using animals. The...

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 60, July 2014)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2014-07-15

This article provides information on: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to infectious diseases in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Genetic characterization of indigenous livestock breeds; Testing irradiation technology for potential use in trypanosome vaccine development; Strengthening animal disease diagnostic capacities in veterinary laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa; Proficiency testing for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) diagnosis by Nucleic Acid Amplification (RT-PCR). Information on Fellows is also provided.

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 60, July 2014)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This article provides information on: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to infectious diseases in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Genetic characterization of indigenous livestock breeds; Testing irradiation technology for potential use in trypanosome vaccine development; Strengthening animal disease diagnostic capacities in veterinary laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa; Proficiency testing for Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) diagnosis by Nucleic Acid Amplification (RT-PCR). Information on Fellows is also provided

A training course on laboratory animal science: an initiative to implement the Three Rs of animal research in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratap, Kunal; Singh, Vijay Pal

2016-03-01

There is a current need for a change in the attitudes of researchers toward the care and use of experimental animals in India. This could be achieved through improvements in the provision of training, to further the integration of the Three Rs concept into scientific research and into the regulations of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA). A survey was performed after participants undertook the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) Category C-based course on Laboratory Animal Science (in 2013 and 2015). It revealed that the participants subsequently employed, in their future research, the practical and theoretical Three Rs approaches that they had learned. This is of great importance in terms of animal welfare, and also serves to benefit their research outcomes extensively. All the lectures, hands-on practical sessions and supplementary elements of the courses, which also involved the handling of small animals and procedures with live animals, were well appreciated by the participants. Insight into developments in practical handling and welfare procedures, norms, directives, and ethical use of laboratory animals in research, was also provided, through the comparison of results from the 2013 and 2015 post-course surveys. 2016 FRAME.

9 CFR 381.207 - Small importations for consignee's personal use, display, or laboratory analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS INSPECTION AND VOLUNTARY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION POULTRY PRODUCTS... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Small importations for consignee's personal use, display, or laboratory analysis. 381.207 Section 381.207 Animals and Animal Products FOOD...

Molecular imaging of small animals with dedicated PET tomographs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatziioannou, A.F.

2002-01-01

Biological discovery has moved at an accelerated pace in recent years, with a considerable focus on the transition from in vitro to in vivo models. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the need to adapt clinical imaging methods, as well as for novel imaging technologies for biological research. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical imaging modality that permits the use of positron-labeled molecular imaging probes for non-invasive assays of biochemical processes. The imaging procedure can be repeatedly performed before and after interventions, thereby allowing each animal to be used as its own control. Positron-labeled compounds that target a range of molecular targets have been and continue to be synthesized, with examples of biological processes ranging from receptors and synthesis of transmitters in cell communication, to metabolic processes and gene expression. In animal research, PET has been used extensively in the past for studies of non-human primates and other larger animals. New detector technology has improved spatial resolution, and has made possible PET scanning for the study of the most important modern molecular biology model, the laboratory mouse. This paper presents the challenges facing PET technology as applied to small animal imaging, provides a historical overview of the development of small animal PET systems, and discusses the current state of the art in small animal PET technology. (orig.)

Laboratory Animal Technician | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies and services that are focused

Pinhole SPECT: high resolution imaging of brain tumours in small laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franceschim, M.; Bokulic, T.; Kusic, Z.; Strand, S.E.; Erlandsson, K.

1994-01-01

The performance properties of pinhole SPECT and the application of this technology to evaluate radionuclide uptake in brain in small laboratory animals were investigated. System sensitivity and spatial resolution measurements of a rotating scintillation camera system were made for a low energy pinhole collimator equipped with 2.0 mm aperture pinhole insert. Projection data were acquired at 4 degree increments over 360 degrees in the step and shoot mode using a 4.5 cm radius of rotation. Pinhole planar and SPECT imaging were obtained to evaluate regional uptake of Tl-201, Tc-99m-MIBI, Tc-99m-HMPAO and Tc-99m-DTPA in tumor and control regions of the brain in a primary brain tumor model in Fisher 344 rats. Pinhole SPECT images were reconstructed using a modified cone- beam algorithm developed from a two dimensional fan-beam filtered backprojection algorithm. The reconstructed transaxial resolution of 2.8 FWHM and system sensitivity of 0.086 c/s/kBq with the 2.0 mm pinhole collimator aperture were measured. Tumor to non-tumor uptake ratios at 19-28 days post tumor cell inoculation varied by a factor > 20:1 on SPECT images. Pinhole SPECT provides an important new approach for performing high resolution imaging: the resolution properties of pinhole SPECT are superior to those which have been achieved with conventional SPECT or PET imaging technologies. (author)

Evaluation of common diseases in laboratory animals | Oguwike ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

, diet or faulty functioning of a process. Laboratory animals are prone to some of these diseases. This study was undertaken to evaluate common diseases found in laboratory animals in our environment. 200 animals consisting of rats, mice, ...

48 CFR 1552.223-72 - Care of laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Care of laboratory animals... Care of laboratory animals. As prescribed in 1523.303-72, insert the following clause: Care of Laboratory Animals (OCT 2000) (a) Before undertaking performance of any contract involving the use of...

48 CFR 352.270-5 - Care of laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Care of laboratory animals... of laboratory animals. (a) As prescribed in 370.403(a), the Contracting Officer shall insert the... on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (January 2006) The Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on...

48 CFR 1523.303-72 - Care of laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Care of laboratory animals... Material and Material Safety Data 1523.303-72 Care of laboratory animals. Contracting officers shall insert the clause at 1552.223-72, Care of Laboratory Animals, in all contracts involving the use of...

Diversity in laboratory animal science: issues and initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Alworth, Leanne; Ardayfio, Krystal L; Blickman, Andrew; Greenhill, Lisa; Hill, William; Sharp, Patrick; Talmage, Roberta; Plaut, Victoria C; Goren, Matt

2010-03-01

Since diversity in the workplace began receiving scholarly attention in the late 1980s, many corporations and institutions have invested in programs to address and manage diversity. We encourage laboratory animal science to address the challenges and to build on the strengths that personal diversity brings to our field and workplaces. Diversity is already becoming increasingly relevant in the workplace and the laboratory animal science field. By addressing issues related to diversity, laboratory animal science could benefit and potentially fulfill its goals more successfully. To date, diversity has received minimal attention from the field as a whole. However, many individuals, workplaces, and institutions in industry, academia, and the uniformed services that are intimately involved with the field of laboratory animal science are actively addressing issues concerning diversity. This article describes some of these programs and activities in industry and academia. Our intention is that this article will provide useful examples of inclusion-promoting activities and prompt further initiatives to address diversity awareness and inclusion in laboratory animal science.

Senior Laboratory Animal Technician | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Laboratory Animal Sciences Program (LASP) provides exceptional quality animal care and technical support services for animal research performed at the National Cancer Institute at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. LASP executes this mission by providing a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies and services that are focused

[The 1, 2, 3 of laboratory animal experimentation].

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Fernandez, Wilber; Batista-Castro, Zenia; De Lucca, Marisel; Ruano, Ana; García-Barceló, María; Rivera-Cervantes, Marta; García-Rodríguez, Julio; Sánchez-Mateos, Soledad

2016-06-01

The slow scientific development in Latin America in recent decades has delayed the incorporation of laboratory animal experimentation; however, this situation has started to change. Today, extraordinary scientific progress is evident, which has promoted the introduction and increased use of laboratory animals as an important tool for the advancement of biomedical sciences. In the aftermath of this boom, the need to provide the scientific community with training and guidance in all aspects related to animal experimentation has arisen. It is the responsibility of each country to regulate this practice, for both bioethical and legal reasons, to ensure consideration of the animals' rights and welfare. The following manuscript is the result of papers presented at the International Workshop on Laboratory Animal Testing held at the Technical University of Ambato, Ecuador; it contains information regarding the current state of affairs in laboratory animal testing and emphasizes critical aspects such as main species used, ethical and legal principles, and experimental and alternative designs for animal use. These works aim to ensure good practices that should define scientific work. This document will be relevant to both researchers who aim to newly incorporate animal testing into their research and those who seek to update their knowledge.

Spotlight on acupuncture in laboratory animal medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magden ER

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Elizabeth R Magden Department of Veterinary Sciences, Michale E Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX, USA Abstract: Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, although it is only in the past century that science has worked to unravel the mechanisms behind its use. Literature supporting the efficacious use of acupuncture to treat a variety of conditions has been and continues to be published, including the randomized controlled studies we all appreciate when practicing evidence-based medicine. The use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine has paralleled the trends observed in people, with an increasingly common use to remedy specific medical conditions. These conditions are commonly related to neurological dysfunction or orthopedic pain. Although pain relief is the most common use of acupuncture, numerous other conditions have been shown to improve with this therapy. Laboratory animals are also benefiting from acupuncture. Its use is starting to be incorporated into research settings, although there is still further progress to be made in this field. Acupuncture has been shown to improve clinical conditions and quality of life in laboratory animals, and should be considered as a tool to treat laboratory animals with conditions known to benefit from therapy. Here we review the history, mechanisms of action, and use of acupuncture to treat veterinary patients and laboratory animals. Keywords: acupuncture, laboratory animals, nonhuman primates

Small-Engine Research Laboratory (SERL)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Description: The Small-Engine Research Laboratory (SERL) is a facility designed to conduct experimental small-scale propulsion and power generation systems research....

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 61, January 2015)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

This article provides information on: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to internal parasites in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Genetic characterization of indigenous livestock breeds; Genetic relationship of domestic sheep breeds with primitive Asian wild Urial sheep; Using irradiation technology to develop a potential trypanosome vaccine; Peste des petits ruminants (PPR); Technical visit to the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Fellows/interns/consultants

High-resolution emission tomography of small laboratory animals: physics and gamma-astronomy meet molecular biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beekman, F.J.; Colijn, A.P.; Vastenhouw, B.; Wiegant, V.M.; Gerrits, M.A.F.M.

2003-01-01

Molecular imaging can be defined as the characterization and measurement of biological processes in living animals, model systems and humans at the cellular and molecular level using remote imaging detectors. An example concerns the mapping of the distributions of radioactively labeled molecules in laboratory animals which is of crucial importance for life sciences. Tomographic methods like Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) offer a possibility to visualize distributions of radioactively labeled molecules in living animals. Miniature tomography systems, derived from their clinical counterparts, but with a much higher image resolution are under development in several institutes. An example is U-SPECT that will be discussed in the present paper. Such systems are expected to accelerate several biomedical research procedures, the understanding of gene and protein function, as well as pharmaceutical development

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick [Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht 6201 BN (Netherlands); Tryggestad, Erik, E-mail: frank.verhaegen@maastro.nl [Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231 (United States)

2011-06-21

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research. (topical review)

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick; Tryggestad, Erik

2011-06-01

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research.

Small animal radiotherapy research platforms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verhaegen, Frank; Granton, Patrick; Tryggestad, Erik

2011-01-01

Advances in conformal radiation therapy and advancements in pre-clinical radiotherapy research have recently stimulated the development of precise micro-irradiators for small animals such as mice and rats. These devices are often kilovolt x-ray radiation sources combined with high-resolution CT imaging equipment for image guidance, as the latter allows precise and accurate beam positioning. This is similar to modern human radiotherapy practice. These devices are considered a major step forward compared to the current standard of animal experimentation in cancer radiobiology research. The availability of this novel equipment enables a wide variety of pre-clinical experiments on the synergy of radiation with other therapies, complex radiation schemes, sub-target boost studies, hypofractionated radiotherapy, contrast-enhanced radiotherapy and studies of relative biological effectiveness, to name just a few examples. In this review we discuss the required irradiation and imaging capabilities of small animal radiation research platforms. We describe the need for improved small animal radiotherapy research and highlight pioneering efforts, some of which led recently to commercially available prototypes. From this, it will be clear that much further development is still needed, on both the irradiation side and imaging side. We discuss at length the need for improved treatment planning tools for small animal platforms, and the current lack of a standard therein. Finally, we mention some recent experimental work using the early animal radiation research platforms, and the potential they offer for advancing radiobiology research. (topical review)

Coupler for surgery on small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, J. E., Jr.; Swartz, P. F.

1979-01-01

Minicoupler simplifies exchange of fluids with organs of laboratory animals enabling one person to perform surgery on experimental animals such as rats and mice. Innovation eliminates obstructing hands and instruments from areas of surgery.

Methods for study of cardiovascular adaptation of small laboratory animals during exposure to altered gravity. [hypothermia for cardiovascular control and cancer therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Popovic, V.

1973-01-01

Several new techniques are reported for studying cardiovascular circulation in small laboratory animals kept in metabolic chambers. Chronical cannulation, miniaturized membrane type heart-lung machines, a prototype walking chamber, and a fluorocarbon immersion method to simulate weightlessness are outlined. Differential hypothermia work on rat cancers provides localized embedding of radionuclides and other chemotherapeutical agents in tumors and increases at the same time blood circulation through the warmed tumor as compared to the rest of the cold body. Some successful clinical applications of combined chemotherapy and differential hypothermia in skin cancer, mammary tumors, and brain gliomas are described.

Small animal imaging. Basics and practical guide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiessling, Fabian [Aachen Univ. (RWTH) (Germany). Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging; Pichler, Bernd J. (eds.) [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Lab. for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation

2011-07-01

Small animal imaging has been recognized as an important tool in preclinical research. Nevertheless, the results of non-invasive imaging are often disappointing owing to choice of a suboptimal imaging modality and/or shortcomings in study design, experimental setup, and data evaluation. This textbook is a practical guide to the use of non-invasive imaging in preclinical research. Each of the available imaging modalities is discussed in detail, with the assistance of numerous informative illustrations. In addition, many useful hints are provided on the installation of a small animal unit, study planning, animal handling, and the cost-effective performance of small animal imaging. Cross-calibration methods, data postprocessing, and special imaging applications are also considered in depth. This is the first book to cover all the practical basics in small animal imaging, and it will prove an invaluable aid for researchers, students, and technicians. (orig.)

Small animal imaging. Basics and practical guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiessling, Fabian; Pichler, Bernd J.

2011-01-01

Small animal imaging has been recognized as an important tool in preclinical research. Nevertheless, the results of non-invasive imaging are often disappointing owing to choice of a suboptimal imaging modality and/or shortcomings in study design, experimental setup, and data evaluation. This textbook is a practical guide to the use of non-invasive imaging in preclinical research. Each of the available imaging modalities is discussed in detail, with the assistance of numerous informative illustrations. In addition, many useful hints are provided on the installation of a small animal unit, study planning, animal handling, and the cost-effective performance of small animal imaging. Cross-calibration methods, data postprocessing, and special imaging applications are also considered in depth. This is the first book to cover all the practical basics in small animal imaging, and it will prove an invaluable aid for researchers, students, and technicians. (orig.)

Open- and closed-formula laboratory animal diets and their importance to research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-11-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of 'standard reference diets' in biomedical research as a means to improve the ability to replicate research. As a result the AIN76 purified diet was formulated. During this same time, the laboratory animal nutritionist at the NIH was formulating open-formula, natural-ingredient diets to meet the need for standardized laboratory animal diets. Since the development of open-formula diets, fixed-formula and constant-nutrient-concentration closed-formula laboratory animal natural ingredient diets have been introduced to help reduce the potential variation diet can cause in research.

High-resolution SPECT for small-animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Yujin

2006-01-01

This article presents a brief overview of the development of high-resolution SPECT for small-animal imaging. A pinhole collimator has been used for high-resolution animal SPECT to provide better spatial resolution and detection efficiency in comparison with a parallel-hole collimator. The theory of imaging characteristics of the pinhole collimator is presented and the designs of the pinhole aperture are discussed. The detector technologies used for the development of small-animal SPECT and the recent advances are presented. The evolving trend of small-animal SPECT is toward a multi-pinhole and a multi-detector system to obtain a high resolution and also a high detection efficiency. (authors)

Studying the elimination of pathogenic agents in laboratory animals feed by use of nuclear technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahhosseini, G.; Raisali, G.

2002-01-01

Laboratory animals are being used all around the world for different kinds of experiments in biological and medical sciences and related fields for the purposes such as prevention, control, diagnosis and treatment of various diseases in livestock, poultry, human, reproduction, breeding, etc. This is very important to keep in the breeding and reproduction environment of laboratory animals, pathogenic microorganisms as low as possible or completely remove them. The most prevailing and important way of such contamination is through feeding laboratory animals. In this research work, it is tried to use gamma radiation as a useful nuclear technique for decrease or resolve the problem. Two kinds of standard forms of diets consumed by rabbit and guinea pig in the form of small pellets and by mouse, rat and hamster in the form of big pellets (with different feed formula) and also two kinds of additive food i.e. dry milk and vitamin C have been examined. Un-irradiated samples have been used for control. Total of 226 samples were irradiated, among which optimum doses were found 25 kilo Gray for both small and big pellets, 18 kilo Gray for dry milk. Since there was not any contamination in vitamin C un-irradiated sample, irradiation was done only to observe the effect of gamma radiation on vitamin C compounds. (Author)

Reducing the number of laboratory animals used in tissue engineering research by restricting the variety of animal models. Articular cartilage tissue engineering as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Rob B M; Buma, Pieter; Leenaars, Marlies; Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel; Gordijn, Bert

2012-12-01

The use of laboratory animals in tissue engineering research is an important underexposed ethical issue. Several ethical questions may be raised about this use of animals. This article focuses on the possibilities of reducing the number of animals used. Given that there is considerable debate about the adequacy of the current animal models in tissue engineering research, we investigate whether it is possible to reduce the number of laboratory animals by selecting and using only those models that have greatest predictive value for future clinical application of the tissue engineered product. The field of articular cartilage tissue engineering is used as a case study. Based on a study of the scientific literature and interviews with leading experts in the field, an overview is provided of the animal models used and the advantages and disadvantages of each model, particularly in terms of extrapolation to the human situation. Starting from this overview, it is shown that, by skipping the small models and using only one large preclinical model, it is indeed possible to restrict the number of animal models, thereby reducing the number of laboratory animals used. Moreover, it is argued that the selection of animal models should become more evidence based and that researchers should seize more opportunities to choose or create characteristics in the animal models that increase their predictive value.

Open- and Closed-Formula Laboratory Animal Diets and Their Importance to Research

OpenAIRE

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-01-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of ‘standard reference diets’ in biomedical r...

Laboratory Animal Welfare Supplement IV.

Science.gov (United States)

Gluckstein, Fritz P., Comp.

This document is the fourth supplement to a 1984 bibliography on laboratory animal welfare. Items presented were selected because they represent some of the most significant of those providing recent information or because they were considered useful. The period covered is October, 1986 through October, 1987. Monographs, conference proceedings,…

Gaps in US Animal Welfare Law for Laboratory Animals: Perspectives From an Animal Law Attorney.

Science.gov (United States)

Frasch, Pamela D

2016-05-01

The use of animals in biomedical, toxicological, and basic research has been common practice, and a tool for scientists and researchers, for many years. And yet, serious conflict continues to exist between those who believe that the use of animals in research will yield scientific results that benefit humans and those who believe such practices are unethical regardless of use or outcome. High-profile undercover cases have further raised public awareness and have put the entire industry under pressure to be transparent, accountable, and aggressive in its adoption of reduction, refinement, and replacement (3R) principles. Many animal law attorneys are deeply frustrated by what they see as weak US laws that are unevenly enforced, especially when compared with legal advances in other countries and regions. This article (1) explores those gaps in US animal welfare laws with an emphasis on the Animal Welfare Act, (2) argues in favor of stronger laws and rigorous enforcement, and (3) suggests steps to advance these goals. These steps include (1) expanding the definition of "animal" in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), (2) improving and expanding minimum care requirements in USDA regulations, (3) instituting mandatory reporting requirements, improving Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees, and allowing easier accessibility to laboratory reports and plans, (4) adding a citizen suit provision to the AWA, and (5) continuing education about the emotional and social capacities of animals and a stronger commitment to 3R principles. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Revised Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Inst. of Lab. Animal Resources.

This report describes National Institute of Health policies on animal welfare, the 1976 amendment to the Animal Welfare Act, and relevant portions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. It is divided into four sections on the following topics: (1) laboratory animal management; (2) laboratory animal quality and health; (3) institutional policies;…

Requirements for laboratory animals in health programmes*

OpenAIRE

Held, J. R.

1981-01-01

Laboratory animals are essential for the successful execution of many health programmes. A wide variety of animal models is used in the worldwide efforts to improve the control of various diseases, and in the basic research needed to improve health care. Biomedical programmes require specially-bred animals reared under controlled conditions, with close attention given to such factors as physical environment, nutrition, microbiological status, and genetic background. The need for a regular sup...

Laboratory animal: biological reagent or living being?

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, C V P; Almeida, A E C C de

2014-01-01

The duties of humans toward non-human animals and their rights in society have been debated for a long time. However, a discussion on the terminology used for the identification of laboratory animals is usually not considered, although the employment of inadequate terminology may generate disastrous consequences for the animals before, during, and after the experiment. This study intends to defend the use of appropriate terminology, call attention to an unethical attitude of certain professionals when dealing with experimental animals, and also propose operational mechanisms, which allow for those distortions to be corrected.

Small Animal [18F]FDG PET Imaging for Tumor Model Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Sang Keun; Kim, Kyeong Min; Cheon, Gi Jeong

2008-01-01

PET allows non-invasive, quantitative and repetitive imaging of biological function in living animals. Small animal PET imaging with [ 18 F]FDG has been successfully applied to investigation of metabolism, receptor, ligand interactions, gene expression, adoptive cell therapy and somatic gene therapy. Experimental condition of animal handling impacts on the biodistribution of [ 18 F]FDG in small animal study. The small animal PET and CT images were registered using the hardware fiducial markers and small animal contour point. Tumor imaging in small animal with small animal [ 18 F]FDG PET should be considered fasting, warming, and isoflurane anesthesia level. Registered imaging with small animal PET and CT image could be useful for the detection of tumor. Small animal experimental condition of animal handling and registration method will be of most importance for small lesion detection of metastases tumor model

Zoonoses of occupational health importance in contemporary laboratory animal research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hankenson, F Claire; Johnston, Nancy A; Weigler, Benjamin J; Di Giacomo, Ronald F

2003-12-01

In contemporary laboratory animal facilities, workplace exposure to zoonotic pathogens, agents transmitted to humans from vertebrate animals or their tissues, is an occupational hazard. The primary (e.g., macaques, pigs, dogs, rabbits, mice, and rats) and secondary species (e.g., sheep, goats, cats, ferrets, and pigeons) of animals commonly used in biomedical research, as classified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, are established or potential hosts for a large number of zoonotic agents. Diseases included in this review are principally those wherein a risk to biomedical facility personnel has been documented by published reports of human cases in laboratory animal research settings, or under reasonably similar circumstances. Diseases are listed alphabetically, and each section includes information about clinical disease, transmission, occurrence, and prevention in animal reservoir species and humans. Our goal is to provide a resource for veterinarians, health-care professionals, technical staff, and administrators that will assist in the design and on-going evaluation of institutional occupational health and safety programs.

Thermoacoustic Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert A. Kruger

2003-04-01

Full Text Available We have designed, constructed, and tested a thermoacoustic computed tomography (TCT scanner for imaging optical absorption in small animals in three dimensions. The device utilizes pulsed laser irradiation (680–1064 nm and a unique, 128-element transducer array. We quantified the isotropic spatial resolution of this scanner to be 0.35 mm. We describe a dual-wavelength subtraction technique for isolating optical dyes with TCT. Phantom experiments demonstrate that we can detect 5 fmol of a near-infrared dye (indocyanine green, ICG in a 1-ML volume using dual-wavelength subtraction. Initial TCT imaging in phantoms and in two sacrificed mice suggests that three-dimensional, optical absorption patterns in small animals can be detected with an order of magnitude better spatial resolution and an order of magnitude better low-contrast detectability in small animals when compared to fluorescence imaging or diffusion optical tomography.

Animals In Synchrotrons: Overcoming Challenges For High-Resolution, Live, Small-Animal Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donnelley, Martin; Parsons, David; Morgan, Kaye; Siu, Karen

2010-01-01

Physiological studies in small animals can be complicated, but the complexity is increased dramatically when performing live-animal synchrotron X-ray imaging studies. Our group has extensive experience in high-resolution live-animal imaging at the Japanese SPring-8 synchrotron, primarily examining airways in two-dimensions. These experiments normally image an area of 1.8 mmx1.2 mm at a pixel resolution of 0.45 μm and are performed with live, intact, anaesthetized mice.There are unique challenges in this experimental setting. Importantly, experiments must be performed in an isolated imaging hutch not specifically designed for small-animal imaging. This requires equipment adapted to remotely monitor animals, maintain their anesthesia, and deliver test substances while collecting images. The horizontal synchrotron X-ray beam has a fixed location and orientation that limits experimental flexibility. The extremely high resolution makes locating anatomical regions-of-interest slow and can result in a high radiation dose, and at this level of magnification small animal movements produce motion-artifacts that can render acquired images unusable. Here we describe our experimental techniques and how we have overcome several challenges involved in performing live mouse synchrotron imaging.Experiments have tested different mouse strains, with hairless strains minimizing overlying skin and hair artifacts. Different anesthetics have also be trialed due to the limited choices available at SPring-8. Tracheal-intubation methods have been refined and controlled-ventilation is now possible using a specialized small-animal ventilator. With appropriate animal restraint and respiratory-gating, motion-artifacts have been minimized. The animal orientation (supine vs. head-high) also appears to affect animal physiology, and can alter image quality. Our techniques and image quality at SPring-8 have dramatically improved and in the near future we plan to translate this experience to the

Molecular Imaging with Small Animal PET/CT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Binderup, T.; El-Ali, H.H.; Skovgaard, D.

2011-01-01

is also described. In addition, the non-invasive nature of molecular imaging and the targets of these promising new tracers are attractive for other research areas as well, although these fields are much less explored. We present an example of an interesting research field with the application of small......Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) and computer tomography (CT) is an emerging field in pre-clinical imaging. High quality, state-of-the-art instruments are required for full optimization of the translational value of the small animal studies with PET and CT. However...... in this field of small animal molecular imaging with special emphasis on the targets for tissue characterization in tumor biology such as hypoxia, proliferation and cancer specific over-expression of receptors. The added value of applying CT imaging for anatomical localization and tumor volume measurements...

Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Committee for the Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals; National Research Council; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Research Council

"A respected resource for decades, the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals has been updated by a committee of experts, taking into consideration input from the scientific and laboratory...

Irradiation of laboratory animal diets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiker, D.

1976-01-01

The increasing demand for well-defined, standardized laboratory animals fr use in experimental research has led to the development of many new methods aimed at keeping the animals free of pathogenic micro-organisms. In this respect the problem of contaminated feeds has become more and more widely recognized. Chemial treatments and heat-treatments, which are the methods most commonly used at present, do have many disadvantages and this has led to an increasing interest in the application of irradiation for sterilizing animal feeds. The author reviews in some detail the various feeding studies which have been performed to date to establish whether or not irradiated feeds are safe for consumption. Much attention is now being given to feed irradiation throughout the world; it is estimated, for example, that approximately 700 tons of feed are already being irradiated per year and that this amount is likely to increase steadily in the future. These activities and recent developments are also briefly reviewed. (author)

Clinical aspects of toxoplasmosis in small animal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Luiz Baptista Galvão

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Toxoplasmosis, a zoonosis of worldwide distribution, has importance in human and veterinary medicine. Animals can be direct or indirect source of infection to man, and this intermediate host, the disease may be responsible for encephalitis and deaths due to congenital form as coinfection in neonates and patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The man and animals can acquire the disease by eating undercooked meat or cures, infected with tissue cysts, as well as food and water contaminated with oocysts. Iatrogenic, such as, blood transfusion and organ transplantation are other less frequent routes of transmission. The causative agent of this disease is Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan obligate intracellular coccidian. In small animals, the infection has been reported in several countries, promoting varied clinical manifestations and uncommon but severe and fatal, which is a challenge in the clinical diagnosis of small animals, especially when the nervous system involvement. Thus, constitute the purpose of this review address the participation of small animals in the spread of the disease, clinical aspects related to it, as well as discuss methods of diagnosis, therapeutic measures, prophylaxis and control of this disease.

Small Animal Models for Evaluating Filovirus Countermeasures.

Science.gov (United States)

Banadyga, Logan; Wong, Gary; Qiu, Xiangguo

2018-05-11

The development of novel therapeutics and vaccines to treat or prevent disease caused by filoviruses, such as Ebola and Marburg viruses, depends on the availability of animal models that faithfully recapitulate clinical hallmarks of disease as it is observed in humans. In particular, small animal models (such as mice and guinea pigs) are historically and frequently used for the primary evaluation of antiviral countermeasures, prior to testing in nonhuman primates, which represent the gold-standard filovirus animal model. In the past several years, however, the filovirus field has witnessed the continued refinement of the mouse and guinea pig models of disease, as well as the introduction of the hamster and ferret models. We now have small animal models for most human-pathogenic filoviruses, many of which are susceptible to wild type virus and demonstrate key features of disease, including robust virus replication, coagulopathy, and immune system dysfunction. Although none of these small animal model systems perfectly recapitulates Ebola virus disease or Marburg virus disease on its own, collectively they offer a nearly complete set of tools in which to carry out the preclinical development of novel antiviral drugs.

Laboratory animal models for esophageal cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dhanya Venugopalan Nair

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The incidence of esophageal cancer is rapidly increasing especially in developing countries. The major risk factors include unhealthy lifestyle practices such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and chewing tobacco to name a few. Diagnosis at an advanced stage and poor prognosis make esophageal cancer one of the most lethal diseases. These factors have urged further research in understanding the pathophysiology of the disease. Animal models not only aid in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of esophageal cancer but also help in developing therapeutic interventions for the disease. This review throws light on the various recent laboratory animal models for esophageal cancer.

Small animal PET: aspects of performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Simone; Bauer, Andreas

2004-01-01

Dedicated small animal positron emission tomography (PET) systems are increasingly prevalent in industry (e.g. for preclinical drug development) and biological research. Such systems permit researchers to perform animal studies of a longitudinal design characterised by repeated measurements in single animals. With the advent of commercial systems, scanners have become readily available and increasingly popular. As a consequence, technical specifications are becoming more diverse, making scanner systems less broadly applicable. The investigator has, therefore, to make a decision regarding which type of scanner is most suitable for the intended experiments. This decision should be based on gantry characteristics and the physical performance. The first few steps have been taken towards standardisation of the assessment of performance characteristics of dedicated animal PET systems, though such assessment is not yet routinely implemented. In this review, we describe current methods of evaluation of physical performance parameters of small animal PET scanners. Effects of methodologically different approaches on the results are assessed. It is underscored that particular attention has to be paid to spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance. Differences in performance measurement methods are described with regard to commercially available systems, namely the Concorde MicroPET systems P4 and R4 and the quad-HIDAC. Lastly, consequences of differences in scanner performance parameters are rated with respect to applications of small animal PET. (orig.)

Microbiological control of a gamma-irradiated feed for laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, M.V.G. de

1979-01-01

A special feed for laboratory animals was prepared, that meets or surpasses the FAO requirements. Experiments were undertaken to determine the γ-radiation dose necessary to sterilize the feed, to free it from enterobacteria which grow abundantly in the rich medium and cause digestive disorders in the laboratory animals. Methods of identifying the various bacteria and fungi are given. The results are tabulated. (U.K.)

SIC, an intracerebral radiosensitive probe for in vivo neuropharmacology investigations in small laboratory animals: theoretical considerations and practical characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Pain, F.; Laniece, P.; Mastrippolito, R.; Charon, Y.; Comar, D.; Leviel, V.; Pujol, J. F.; Valentin, L.

2000-02-01

Although high-resolution tomographs provide a new approach that strongly simplifies the measurement of in vivo tracer biodistribution and kinetics in small animals, they suffer from an important drawback: the need for animal anesthesia or immobilization, which restricts the neurophysiological investigations. Furthermore, quantitative in vivo experiments realized on the brain sometimes only require a simple measurement of the radioactivity achieved on a few local points and do not necessarily imply the use of a tomograph, which is a detector of high cost. These constraints led the authors to develop an interacerebral /spl beta/ sensitive probe, sonde intracerebrate (SIC) (French acronym of intracerebral probe) that will allow chronic measurements of the neurophysiological activity in awake and unrestrained small animals. The volume to which the probe is sensitive and the noise contributions to the relevant signal have been evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations. Characterizations of a first prototype based on a small piece of scintillating fiber (500-/spl mu/m diameter and 1-mm length) fused to a same diameter optical fiber coupled in turn to a photomultiplier are also presented. A first configuration of the detector is finally proposed.

Dose evaluation of three-dimensional small animal phantom with film dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Su Chul; Park, Seung Woo

2017-01-01

The weight of small animal dosimetry has been continuously increased in pre-clinical studies using radiation in small animals. In this study, three-dimensional(3D) small animal phantom was fabricated using 3D printer which has been continuously used and studied in the various fields. The absorbed dose of 3D animal phantom was evaluated by film dosimetry. Previously, the response of film was obtained from the materials used for production of 3D small animal phantom and compared with the bolus used as the tissue equivalent material in the radiotherapy. When irradiated with gamma rays from 0.5 Gy to 6 Gy, it was confirmed that there was a small difference of less than 1% except 0.5 Gy dose. And when small animal phantom was irradiated with 5 Gy, the difference between the irradiated dose and calculated dose from film was within 2%. Based on this study, it would be possible to increase the reliability of dose in pre-clinical studies using irradiation in small animals by evaluating dose of 3D small animal phantom

Dose evaluation of three-dimensional small animal phantom with film dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Su Chul [Div. of Medical Radiation Equipment, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seung Woo [Radilogcial and Medico-Oncological Sciences, University of Sciences and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-03-15

The weight of small animal dosimetry has been continuously increased in pre-clinical studies using radiation in small animals. In this study, three-dimensional(3D) small animal phantom was fabricated using 3D printer which has been continuously used and studied in the various fields. The absorbed dose of 3D animal phantom was evaluated by film dosimetry. Previously, the response of film was obtained from the materials used for production of 3D small animal phantom and compared with the bolus used as the tissue equivalent material in the radiotherapy. When irradiated with gamma rays from 0.5 Gy to 6 Gy, it was confirmed that there was a small difference of less than 1% except 0.5 Gy dose. And when small animal phantom was irradiated with 5 Gy, the difference between the irradiated dose and calculated dose from film was within 2%. Based on this study, it would be possible to increase the reliability of dose in pre-clinical studies using irradiation in small animals by evaluating dose of 3D small animal phantom.

A user-friendly approach to cost accounting in laboratory animal facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, David G

2011-08-19

Cost accounting is an essential management activity for laboratory animal facility management. In this report, the author describes basic principles of cost accounting and outlines steps for carrying out cost accounting in laboratory animal facilities. Methods of post hoc cost accounting analysis for maximizing the efficiency of facility operations are also described.

THE HISTORY OF LABORATORY ANIMALS AND THE 3RS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alstrup, Aage Kristian Olsen

This talk will give an introduction to the history of the use of laboratory animals with focus on the history of the three Rs (3Rs). We will see how animal experimentation has been performed early in our civilization, and how the suffering of animals has been justified. This will include Rene...... Descartes´s mechanical view of animals in the seventeenth century, and Charles Darwin's ambivalent relationship to animal experimentation, which he views as cruel but necessary. In the 1870s the Danish Foundation for Protection of Animals (“Dyrenes Beskyttelse”) and Professor Peter Panum discussed the use...

Inhalation toxicology. I., Design of a small-animal test system, II. Determination of the relative toxic hazards of 75 aircraft cabin materials.

Science.gov (United States)

1977-01-01

In an effort to further the cause of increased safety for those who ride in commercial aircraft, this paper presents a detailed description of the genesis of a small-scale, laboratory test system that utilizes small animals to evaluate the relative t...

Institutional training programs for research personnel conducted by laboratory-animal veterinarians.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyson, Melissa C; Rush, Howard G

2012-01-01

Research institutions are required by federal law and national standards to ensure that individuals involved in animal research are appropriately trained in techniques and procedures used on animals. Meeting these requirements necessitates the support of institutional authorities; policies for the documentation and enforcement of training; resources to support and provide training programs; and high-quality, effective educational material. Because of their expertise, laboratory-animal veterinarians play an essential role in the design, implementation, and provision of educational programs for faculty, staff, and students in biomedical research. At large research institutions, provision of a training program for animal care and use personnel can be challenging because of the animal-research enterprise's size and scope. At the University of Michigan (UM), approximately 3,500 individuals have direct contact with animals used in research. We describe a comprehensive educational program for animal care and use personnel designed and provided by laboratory-animal veterinarians at UM and discuss the challenges associated with its implementation.

Intrinsic respiratory gating in small-animal CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartling, Soenke H.; Dinkel, Julien; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Stiller, Wolfram; Semmler, Wolfhard; Grasruck, Michael; Madisch, Ijad; Gupta, Rajiv; Kiessling, Fabian

2008-01-01

Gating in small-animal CT imaging can compensate artefacts caused by physiological motion during scanning. However, all published gating approaches for small animals rely on additional hardware to derive the gating signals. In contrast, in this study a novel method of intrinsic respiratory gating of rodents was developed and tested for mice (n=5), rats (n=5) and rabbits (n=2) in a flat-panel cone-beam CT system. In a consensus read image quality was compared with that of non-gated and retrospective extrinsically gated scans performed using a pneumatic cushion. In comparison to non-gated images, image quality improved significantly using intrinsic and extrinsic gating. Delineation of diaphragm and lung structure improved in all animals. Image quality of intrinsically gated CT was judged to be equivalent to extrinsically gated ones. Additionally 4D datasets were calculated using both gating methods. Values for expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes determined with the two gating methods were comparable and correlated well with values known from the literature. We could show that intrinsic respiratory gating in rodents makes additional gating hardware and preparatory efforts superfluous. This method improves image quality and allows derivation of functional data. Therefore it bears the potential to find wide applications in small-animal CT imaging. (orig.)

Laboratory training manual on radioimmunoassay in animal reproduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

Reproduction must always be regarded as one of the major limiting factors in animal production and many of the modern methods for improving reproduction rely heavily on the ability to measure hormone levels in blood and milk. This has produced a world-wide demand for laboratory facilities to carry out hormone assays and the need for specialist training to allow these assays to be undertaken. The need to measure nanogram and picogram quantities and the use of radionuclides require a good deal of skill and care and this Manual has been prepared to aid training and provide the sort of information that rarely appears in scientific papers. It represents a further step in the Joint FAO/IAEA Division's series of Laboratory Training Manuals, and has been designed to aid training programmes of the type carried out during the Joint FAO/IAEA Interregional Training Course on Radioimmunoassay and its Application in Research on Animal Reproduction at Cornell University in July 1982. Many of the laboratory exercises described in this Manual are based on those conducted during the course

Prevalence and pattern of small animal orthopaedic conditions at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Small animal orthopaedic case records of a 20-year period were surveyed to obtain the prevalence and pattern of orthopaedic conditions presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), University of Ibadan, Nigeria, with the objective of providing data for planning on small animal healthcare facilities, policy ...

Tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri as a novel laboratory disease animal model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji Xiao

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri is a promising laboratory animal that possesses a closer genetic relationship to primates than to rodents. In addition, advantages such as small size, easy breeding, and rapid reproduction make the tree shrew an ideal subject for the study of human disease. Numerous tree shrew disease models have been generated in biological and medical studies in recent years. Here we summarize current tree shrew disease models, including models of infectious diseases, cancers, depressive disorders, drug addiction, myopia, metabolic diseases, and immune-related diseases. With the success of tree shrew transgenic technology, this species will be increasingly used in biological and medical studies in the future.

Utility of Small Animal Models of Developmental Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Clare M; Vickers, Mark H

2018-01-01

Any effective strategy to tackle the global obesity and rising noncommunicable disease epidemic requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that underlie these conditions that manifest as a consequence of complex gene-environment interactions. In this context, it is now well established that alterations in the early life environment, including suboptimal nutrition, can result in an increased risk for a range of metabolic, cardiovascular, and behavioral disorders in later life, a process preferentially termed developmental programming. To date, most of the mechanistic knowledge around the processes underpinning development programming has been derived from preclinical research performed mostly, but not exclusively, in laboratory mouse and rat strains. This review will cover the utility of small animal models in developmental programming, the limitations of such models, and potential future directions that are required to fully maximize information derived from preclinical models in order to effectively translate to clinical use.

Frequency domain fluorescence diffuse tomography of small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Orlova, Anna G.; Turchin, Ilya V.; Kamensky, Vladislav A.; Plehanov, Vladimir I.; Balalaeva, Irina V.; Sergeeva, Ekaterina A.; Shirmanova, Marina V.; Kleshnin, Michail S.

2007-05-01

Fluorescent compounds for selective cancer cell marking are used for development of novel medical diagnostic methods, investigation of the influence of external factors on tumor growth, regress and metastasis. Only special tools for turbid media imaging, such as optical diffusion tomography permit noninvasive monitoring of fluorescent-labeled tumor alterations deep in animal tissue. In this work, the results of preliminary experiments utilizing frequency-domain fluorescent diffusion tomography (FD FDT) experimental setup in small animal are presented. Low-frequency modulated light (1 kHz) from Nd:YAG laser with second harmonic generation at the wavelength of 532 nm was used in the setup. The transilluminative planar configuration was used in the setup. A series of model experiments has been conducted and show good agreement between theoretical and experimental fluorescence intensity. Models of deep tumors were created by two methods: (1) glass capsules containing fluorophore solution were inserted into esophagus of small animals to simulate marked tumors; (2) a suspension of transfected HEΚ293-Turbo-RFP cells was subcutaneously injected to small animal. The conducted experiments have shown that FD FDT allows one to detect the presence of labeled tumor cells in small animals, to determine the volume of an experimental tumor, to perform 3D tumor reconstruction, as well as to conduct monitoring investigations. The obtained results demonstrate the potential capability of the FD FDT method for noninvasive whole-body imaging in cancer studies, diagnostics and therapy.

Recommendations on vaccination for Asian small animal practitioners: a report of the WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group.

Science.gov (United States)

Day, M J; Karkare, U; Schultz, R D; Squires, R; Tsujimoto, H

2015-02-01

In 2012 and 2013, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) undertook fact-finding visits to several Asian countries, with a view to developing advice for small companion animal practitioners in Asia related to the administration of vaccines to dogs and cats. The VGG met with numerous first opinion practitioners, small animal association leaders, academic veterinarians, government regulators and industry representatives and gathered further information from a survey of almost 700 veterinarians in India, China, Japan and Thailand. Although there were substantial differences in the nature and magnitude of the challenges faced by veterinarians in each country, and also differences in the resources available to meet those challenges, overall, the VGG identified insufficient undergraduate and postgraduate training in small companion animal microbiology, immunology and vaccinology. In most of the countries, there has been little academic research into small animal infectious diseases. This, coupled with insufficient laboratory diagnostic support, has limited the growth of knowledge concerning the prevalence and circulating strains of key infectious agents in most of the countries visited. Asian practitioners continue to recognise clinical infections that are now considered uncommon or rare in western countries. In particular, canine rabies virus infection poses a continuing threat to animal and human health in this region. Both nationally manufactured and international dog and cat vaccines are variably available in the Asian countries, but the product ranges are small and dominated by multi-component vaccines with a licensed duration of immunity (DOI) of only 1 year, or no description of DOI. Asian practitioners are largely unaware of current global trends in small animal vaccinology or of the WSAVA vaccination guidelines. Consequently, most practitioners continue to deliver annual revaccination with both core and non

Guidelines for euthanasia of laboratory animals used in biomedical research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adina Baias,

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Laboratory animals are used in several fields of science research, especially in biology, medicine and veterinary medicine. The majority of laboratory animals used in research are experimental models that replace the human body in study regarding pharmacological or biological safety products, studies conducted for a betterunderstanding of oncologic processes, toxicology, genetic studies or even new surgical techniques. Experimental protocols include a stage in which animals are euthanized in order to remove organs and tissues,or for no unnecessary pain and suffering of animals (humane endpoints or to mark the end of research. The result of euthanasia techniques is a rapid loss of consciousness followed by cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest and disruption of brain activity. Nowadays, the accepted euthanasia techniques can use chemicals (inhalant agents like: carbon dioxide, nitrogen or argon, overdoses of injectable anesthetics or physical methods (decapitation, cervical spine dislocation, stunning, gunshot, pitching.

Design, construction and testing of a DC bioeffects test enclosure for small animals. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frazier, M J; Preache, M M

1980-11-01

This final report describes both the engineering development of a DC bioeffects test enclosure for small laboratory animals, and the biological protocol for the use of such enclosures in the testing of animals to determine possible biological effects of the environment associated with HVDC transmission lines. The test enclosure which has been designed is a modular unit, which will house up to eight rat-sized animals in individual compartments. Multiple test enclosures can be used to test larger numbers of animals. A prototype test enclosure has been fabricated and tested to characterize its electrical performance characteristics. The test enclosure provides a simulation of the dominant environment associated with HVDC transmission lines; namely, a static electric field and an ion current density. A biological experimental design has been developed for assessing the effects of the dominant components of the HVDC transmission line environment.

The need for econometric research in laboratory animal operations.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, David G; Kearney, Michael T

2015-06-01

The scarcity of research funding can affect animal facilities in various ways. These effects can be evaluated by examining the allocation of financial resources in animal facilities, which can be facilitated by the use of mathematical and statistical methods to analyze economic problems, a discipline known as econometrics. The authors applied econometrics to study whether increasing per diem charges had a negative effect on the number of days of animal care purchased by animal users. They surveyed animal numbers and per diem charges at 20 research institutions and found that demand for large animals decreased as per diem charges increased. The authors discuss some of the challenges involved in their study and encourage research institutions to carry out more robust econometric studies of this and other economic questions facing laboratory animal research.

In Vivo Respiratory-Gated Micro-CT Imaging in Small-Animal Oncology Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawn Cavanaugh

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT is becoming an accepted research tool for the noninvasive examination of laboratory animals such as mice and rats, but to date, in vivo scanning has largely been limited to the evaluation of skeletal tissues. We use a commercially available micro-CT device to perform respiratory gated in vivo acquisitions suitable for thoracic imaging. The instrument is described, along with the scan protocol and animal preparation techniques. Preliminary results confirm that lung tumors as small as 1 mm in diameter are visible in vivo with these methods. Radiation dose was evaluated using several approaches, and was found to be approximately 0.15 Gy for this respiratory-gated micro-CT imaging protocol. The combination of high-resolution CT imaging and respiratory-gated acquisitions appears well-suited to serial in vivo scanning.

Laboratory Animal Workers’ Attitudes and Perceptions Concerning Occupational Risk and Injury

OpenAIRE

Steelman, Eric D; Alexander, Jeffrey L

2016-01-01

Little is known regarding the risk perceptions and attitudes of laboratory animal care workers toward biologic safety. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of laboratory animal workers toward occupational and injury risk. Subscribers to the CompMed and TechLink listservs (n = 4808) were surveyed electronically, and 5.3% responded; data from 215 respondents were included in the final analysis. Primary variables of interest included AALAS certificati...

Design of laboratory and animal housing unit for radionuclide studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1975-01-01

The design of a combined analytical laboratory and animal housing facility is discussed. By having sample processing facilities in close proximity to the experimental animals, the necessity for transporting biological specimens long distances has been curtailed. In addition, complete radionuclide counting equipment has been installed so that samples need not leave the animal housing site for analysis, a feature based on radiological health requirements. (U.S.)

X-ray micro-tomography system for small-animal imaging with zoom-in imaging capability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chun, In Kon; Cho, Myung Hye; Lee, Sang Chul; Cho, Min Hyoung; Lee, Soo Yeol

2004-01-01

Since a micro-tomography system capable of μm-resolution imaging cannot be used for whole-body imaging of a small laboratory animal without sacrificing its spatial resolution, it is desirable for a micro-tomography system to have local imaging capability. In this paper, we introduce an x-ray micro-tomography system capable of high-resolution imaging of a local region inside a small animal. By combining two kinds of projection data, one from a full field-of-view (FOV) scan of the whole body and the other from a limited FOV scan of the region of interest (ROI), we have obtained zoomed-in images of the ROI without any contrast anomalies commonly appearing in conventional local tomography. For experimental verification of the zoom-in imaging capability, we have integrated a micro-tomography system using a micro-focus x-ray source, a 1248 x 1248 flat-panel x-ray detector, and a precision scan mechanism. The mismatches between the two projection data caused by misalignments of the scan mechanism have been estimated with a calibration phantom, and the mismatch effects have been compensated in the image reconstruction procedure. Zoom-in imaging results of bony tissues with a spatial resolution of 10 lp mm -1 suggest that zoom-in micro-tomography can be greatly used for high-resolution imaging of a local region in small-animal studies

High resolution propagation-based imaging system for in vivo dynamic computed tomography of lungs in small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Preissner, M.; Murrie, R. P.; Pinar, I.; Werdiger, F.; Carnibella, R. P.; Zosky, G. R.; Fouras, A.; Dubsky, S.

2018-04-01

We have developed an x-ray imaging system for in vivo four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) of small animals for pre-clinical lung investigations. Our customized laboratory facility is capable of high resolution in vivo imaging at high frame rates. Characterization using phantoms demonstrate a spatial resolution of slightly below 50 μm at imaging rates of 30 Hz, and the ability to quantify material density differences of at least 3%. We benchmark our system against existing small animal pre-clinical CT scanners using a quality factor that combines spatial resolution, image noise, dose and scan time. In vivo 4DCT images obtained on our system demonstrate resolution of important features such as blood vessels and small airways, of which the smallest discernible were measured as 55–60 μm in cross section. Quantitative analysis of the images demonstrate regional differences in ventilation between injured and healthy lungs.

Laboratory Animal Workers' Attitudes and Perceptions Concerning Occupational Risk and Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Steelman, Eric D; Alexander, Jeffrey L

2016-01-01

Little is known regarding the risk perceptions and attitudes of laboratory animal care workers toward biologic safety. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of laboratory animal workers toward occupational and injury risk. Subscribers to the CompMed and TechLink listservs (n = 4808) were surveyed electronically, and 5.3% responded; data from 215 respondents were included in the final analysis. Primary variables of interest included AALAS certifications status, level of education, and responses to Likert-scale questions related to attitudes and perceptions of occupational risk and injury. Nonparametric (χ(2)) testing and measures of central tendency and dispersion were used to analyze and describe the data. According to 88.6% of respondents, biologic safety training is provided with information about zoonotic diseases of laboratory animals. Level of education was significantly related to perception of importance regarding wearing personal protective equipment. Participants indicated that appropriate support from coworkers and management staff is received, especially when performance and perception are hindered due to stress and fatigue. Laboratory animal staff are susceptible to injury and exposure to dangerous organisms and toxic substances. For this reason, to maximize safety, yearly biologic safety training should be provided, the importance of protective equipment adherence strengthened, and the culture of safety made a priority within the institution.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2016-01-01

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Tianwu [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva 4 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Zaidi, Habib, E-mail: habib.zaidi@hcuge.ch [Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva 4 CH-1211 (Switzerland); Geneva Neuroscience Center, Geneva University, Geneva CH-1205 (Switzerland); Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB (Netherlands)

2016-01-15

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

2016-01-01

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal models have been reported in the literature and used as surrogates to characterize the anatomy of actual animals for the simulation of preclinical studies involving the use of bioluminescence tomography, fluorescence molecular tomography, positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, microcomputed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and optical imaging. Other applications include electromagnetic field simulation, ionizing and nonionizing radiation dosimetry, and the development and evaluation of new methodologies for multimodality image coregistration, segmentation, and reconstruction of small animal images. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the history and fundamental technologies used for the development of computational small animal models with a particular focus on their application in preclinical imaging as well as nonionizing and ionizing radiation dosimetry calculations. An overview of the overall process involved in the design of these models, including the fundamental elements used for the construction of different types of computational models, the identification of original anatomical data, the simulation tools used for solving various computational problems, and the applications of computational animal models in preclinical research. The authors also analyze the characteristics of categories of computational models (stylized, voxel-based, and boundary representation) and discuss the technical challenges faced at the present time as well as research needs in the future

Study of embryotoxic effects of intranasally administred desloratadine on laboratory animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alekhina Т.А.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted to detect possible changes in embryogenesis and negative effects of third generation antihistamine – desloratadine – after intranasal administration of 1.3 mg/m3 and 13.0 mg/m3 of the substance to laboratory animals during their prenatal period. In these circumstances, desloratadine does not cause any significant changes of embryogenesis parameters. Macroscopic examination of the fetus and placenta in animals of experimental groups did not reveal any pathology or physiological deviations from the norm. 13.0 mg/m3 concentration of the drug caused a decrease in the weight of embryos in comparison with control group of animals and physiological data, despite a well developed, without visible pathology, placenta. This neces­sitates an in-depth study of possible teratogenic effects of intranasally administred desloratadine to laboratory animals.

FELASA recommendations for the education and training of laboratory animal technicians: category A: report of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations Working Group on Education of Animal Technicians (Category A) accepted by the FELASA Board of Management.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weiss Convenor, J.; Bukelskiene, V.; Chambrier, P.; Ferrari, L.; Meulen, M. van der; Moreno, M.; Mulkens, F.G.G.F.M.; Sigg, H.; Yates, N.

2010-01-01

The future laboratory animal technician in Europe will be provided with three different levels of education. All candidates have to start with an introductory course to reach level A0. At this level (A0) they will be able to assist in the laboratory animal facility by undertaking limited specific

Remote Laboratory and Animal Behaviour: An Interactive Open Field System

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, Lorenzo; Ratti, Giovannino

2007-01-01

Remote laboratories can provide distant learners with practical acquisitions which would otherwise remain precluded. Our proposal here is a remote laboratory on a behavioural test (open field test), with the aim of introducing learners to the observation and analysis of stereotyped behaviour in animals. A real-time video of a mouse in an…

Semiautomated analysis of small-animal PET data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Adam L; Dahlbom, Magnus; Huang, Sung-Cheng; Hsueh, Wei-Ann; Pio, Betty S; Czernin, Johannes; Kreissl, Michael; Wu, Hsiao-Ming; Silverman, Daniel H S

2006-07-01

The objective of the work reported here was to develop and test automated methods to calculate biodistribution of PET tracers using small-animal PET images. After developing software that uses visually distinguishable organs and other landmarks on a scan to semiautomatically coregister a digital mouse phantom with a small-animal PET scan, we elastically transformed the phantom to conform to those landmarks in 9 simulated scans and in 18 actual PET scans acquired of 9 mice. Tracer concentrations were automatically calculated in 22 regions of interest (ROIs) reflecting the whole body and 21 individual organs. To assess the accuracy of this approach, we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of simulated PET scans with the known activities, and we compared the software-measured activities in the ROIs of real PET scans both with manually established ROI activities in original scan data and with actual radioactivity content in immediately harvested tissues of imaged animals. PET/atlas coregistrations were successfully generated with minimal end-user input, allowing rapid quantification of 22 separate tissue ROIs. The simulated scan analysis found the method to be robust with respect to the overall size and shape of individual animal scans, with average activity values for all organs tested falling within the range of 98% +/- 3% of the organ activity measured in the unstretched phantom scan. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) measured from actual PET scans using this semiautomated method correlated reasonably well with radioactivity content measured in harvested organs (median r = 0.94) and compared favorably with conventional SUV correlations with harvested organ data (median r = 0.825). A semiautomated analytic approach involving coregistration of scan-derived images with atlas-type images can be used in small-animal whole-body radiotracer studies to estimate radioactivity concentrations in organs. This approach is rapid and less labor intensive than are

State-of-the-art of small animal imaging with high-resolution SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolaus, S.; Wirrwar, A.; Antke, C.; Kley, K.; Mueller, H.W.

2005-01-01

During the recent years, in vivo imaging of small animals using SPECT has become of growing relevance. Along with the development of dedicated high-resolution small animal SPECT cameras, an increasing number of conventional clinical scanners has been equipped with single or multipinhole collimators. This paper reviews the small animal tomographs, which are operating at present and compares their performance characteristics. Furthermore, we describe the in vivo imaging studies, which have been performed so far with the individual scanners and survey current approaches to optimize molecular imaging with small animal SPECT. (orig.)

76 FR 17423 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-29

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... available. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, Office of Extramural... Animal Welfare Act and other Federal statutes and regulations relating to animal activities. The PHS...

State of the art in both in vitro and in vivo aspects of small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maziere, B.; Lebars, D.

2002-01-01

for practical reasons (with the advent of genomics and combinatorial chemistry, gene knock-out mice, transgene mice and cloned human receptors, drug discovery departments could be rapidly flooded with new active compounds making the selection for further development becoming more and more critical). Until recently, it was felt that PET and SPECT radioisotopic imaging methodologies were too expensive and that their resolution was too poor to be used in small laboratory animals like mice and rats. With the development of high-resolution and relatively low-cost imaging systems dedicated to small animals, that perception is changing. Another anticipated benefit of the use of small animal imaging techniques is that they provide a sophisticated way to work with the many transgenic mouse models of disease that have become more and more important in the drug development process. Using these in vivo imaging systems, it is now possible to repeat the same study on a single mouse allowing, for example, to monitor the response to drugs as a function of time. In a near future these small animal-imaging techniques could be used to monitor gene therapy (using radiolabelled oligonucleotides or therapy genes monitored with the reporter gene/radiolabelled reporter probe system). Animal PET/SPECT systems are unique tools to provide information on the mechanism of action of drugs and as such are more and more used as rapid screening procedures for selecting new drugs and for optimising treatment protocols. The use of small animal imaging systems is particularly valuable in small animal studies with a longitudinal or interventional design. The high-performance, application-specific research PET and SPECT systems, designed for use with small animals, should facilitate quantitative accurate research data to be translated more effectively from pharmacological labs to clinical medicine and clinical trials. PET and SPECT for small-animal imaging provide a bridge between preclinical drug

77 FR 38073 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Clarification of Position Statements on Implementation of the Eighth...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, Office of Extramural Research, NIH, RKL1, Suite 360... approved Animal Welfare Assurance-- in their implementation of the Guide (76 FR 74803). The public was...

76 FR 27335 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare...: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, RKL1... Animal Welfare Act and other Federal statutes and regulations relating to animal activities. The PHS...

First application of liquid-metal-jet sources for small-animal imaging: High-resolution CT and phase-contrast tumor demarcation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larsson, Daniel H.; Lundstroem, Ulf; Burvall, Anna; Hertz, Hans M. [Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology/Albanova, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden); Westermark, Ulrica K.; Arsenian Henriksson, Marie [Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-02-15

Purpose: Small-animal studies require images with high spatial resolution and high contrast due to the small scale of the structures. X-ray imaging systems for small animals are often limited by the microfocus source. Here, the authors investigate the applicability of liquid-metal-jet x-ray sources for such high-resolution small-animal imaging, both in tomography based on absorption and in soft-tissue tumor imaging based on in-line phase contrast. Methods: The experimental arrangement consists of a liquid-metal-jet x-ray source, the small-animal object on a rotating stage, and an imaging detector. The source-to-object and object-to-detector distances are adjusted for the preferred contrast mechanism. Two different liquid-metal-jet sources are used, one circulating a Ga/In/Sn alloy and the other an In/Ga alloy for higher penetration through thick tissue. Both sources are operated at 40-50 W electron-beam power with {approx}7 {mu}m x-ray spots, providing high spatial resolution in absorption imaging and high spatial coherence for the phase-contrast imaging. Results: High-resolution absorption imaging is demonstrated on mice with CT, showing 50 {mu}m bone details in the reconstructed slices. High-resolution phase-contrast soft-tissue imaging shows clear demarcation of mm-sized tumors at much lower dose than is required in absorption. Conclusions: This is the first application of liquid-metal-jet x-ray sources for whole-body small-animal x-ray imaging. In absorption, the method allows high-resolution tomographic skeletal imaging with potential for significantly shorter exposure times due to the power scalability of liquid-metal-jet sources. In phase contrast, the authors use a simple in-line arrangement to show distinct tumor demarcation of few-mm-sized tumors. This is, to their knowledge, the first small-animal tumor visualization with a laboratory phase-contrast system.

Theoretical considerations on maximum running speeds for large and small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Mauricio A

2016-02-07

Mechanical equations for fast running speeds are presented and analyzed. One of the equations and its associated model predict that animals tend to experience larger mechanical stresses in their limbs (muscles, tendons and bones) as a result of larger stride lengths, suggesting a structural restriction entailing the existence of an absolute maximum possible stride length. The consequence for big animals is that an increasingly larger body mass implies decreasing maximal speeds, given that the stride frequency generally decreases for increasingly larger animals. Another restriction, acting on small animals, is discussed only in preliminary terms, but it seems safe to assume from previous studies that for a given range of body masses of small animals, those which are bigger are faster. The difference between speed scaling trends for large and small animals implies the existence of a range of intermediate body masses corresponding to the fastest animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic 18F-fluoride small animal PET to noninvasively assess renal function in rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnoeckel, Uta; Stegger, Lars; Schaefers, Klaus P.; Hermann, Sven; Schober, Otmar; Schaefers, Michael; Reuter, Stefan; Schlatter, Eberhard; Gabriels, Gert

2008-01-01

Renal function can be quantified by both laboratory and scintigraphic methods. In the case of small animal diagnostics, scintigraphic image-based methods are ideal since they can assess split renal function, work noninvasively, and can be repeated. The aim of this study is to validate a 18 F-PET-based method to quantify renal function in rats. Fluoride clearance was calculated from a dynamic whole body listmode acquisition of 60 min length in a small animal PET scanner following an i.v. injection of 15 MBq 18 F-fluoride. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in the left ventricle and the bladder as well as traced around the kidney contours. The respective time-activity curves (TAC) were calculated. The renal 18 F-clearance was calculated by the ratio of the total renal excreted activity (bladder VOI) and the integral of the blood TAC. PET-derived renal function was validated by intraindividual measurements of creatinine clearance (n=23), urea clearance (n=23), and tubular excretion rate (TER-MAG3). The split renal function was derived from the injection of the clinically available radionuclide 99m Tc-mercaptotriglycine by blood sampling and planar renography (n=8). In all animals studied, PET revealed high-quality TACs. PET-derived renal fluoride clearance was linearly correlated with intraindividual laboratory measures (PET vs. creatinine: r=0.78; PET vs. urea: r=0.73; PET vs. TER-MAG3: r=0.73). Split function was comparable ( 18 F-PET vs. MAG3-renography: r=0.98). PET-derived measures were highly reproducible. 18 F-PET is able to noninvasively assess renal function in rats and provides a significant potential for serial studies in different experimental scenarios. (orig.)

Building Transnational Bodies: Norway and the International Development of Laboratory Animal Science, ca. 1956–1980

Science.gov (United States)

Druglitrø, Tone; Kirk, Robert G. W.

2015-01-01

Argument This article adopts a historical perspective to examine the development of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, an auxiliary field which formed to facilitate the work of the biomedical sciences by systematically improving laboratory animal production, provision, and maintenance in the post Second World War period. We investigate how Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine co-developed at the local level (responding to national needs and concerns) yet was simultaneously transnational in orientation (responding to the scientific need that knowledge, practices, objects and animals circulate freely). Adapting the work of Tsing (2004), we argue that national differences provided the creative “friction” that helped drive the formation of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine as a transnational endeavor. Our analysis engages with the themes of this special issue by focusing on the development of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine in Norway, which both informed wider transnational developments and was formed by them. We show that Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine can only be properly understood from a spatial perspective; whilst it developed and was structured through national “centers,” its orientation was transnational necessitating international networks through which knowledge, practice, technologies, and animals circulated. More and better laboratory animals are today required than ever before, and this demand will continue to rise if it is to keep pace with the quickening tempo of biological and veterinary research. The provision of this living experimental material is no longer a local problem; local, that is, to the research institute. It has become a national concern, and, in some of its aspects . . . even international. (William Lane-Petter 1957, 240) PMID:24941794

Small Stakes Risk Aversion in the Laboratory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Glenn W.; Lau, Morten I.; Ross, Don

2017-01-01

Evidence of risk aversion in laboratory settings over small stakes leads to a priori implausible levels of risk aversion over large stakes under certain assumptions. One core assumption in statements of this calibration puzzle is that small-stakes risk aversion is observed over all levels of wealth...

Treatment planning for a small animal using Monte Carlo simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, James C. L.; Leung, Michael K. K.

2007-01-01

The development of a small animal model for radiotherapy research requires a complete setup of customized imaging equipment, irradiators, and planning software that matches the sizes of the subjects. The purpose of this study is to develop and demonstrate the use of a flexible in-house research environment for treatment planning on small animals. The software package, called DOSCTP, provides a user-friendly platform for DICOM computed tomography-based Monte Carlo dose calculation using the EGSnrcMP-based DOSXYZnrc code. Validation of the treatment planning was performed by comparing the dose distributions for simple photon beam geometries calculated through the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system and measurements. A treatment plan for a mouse based on a CT image set by a 360-deg photon arc is demonstrated. It is shown that it is possible to create 3D conformal treatment plans for small animals with consideration of inhomogeneities using small photon beam field sizes in the diameter range of 0.5-5 cm, with conformal dose covering the target volume while sparing the surrounding critical tissue. It is also found that Monte Carlo simulation is suitable to carry out treatment planning dose calculation for small animal anatomy with voxel size about one order of magnitude smaller than that of the human

Advances in endoscopic surgery for small animal reproduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Katic, N; Dupré, G

2016-09-01

Although endoscopic surgery entered its "golden era" in the mid-1980s, it is still advancing at a tremendous pace. Novel surgical techniques and devices are continuously developed and applied, and new indications (and/or contraindications) for the use of endoscopic surgery are routinely reported in the literature and subjected to systematic assessments. Although endoscopic surgery (laparoscopy in particular) has already become established as the gold standard in human medicine, it has yet to be proven as a viable alternative to open surgery in the field of veterinary medicine. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery include better intra-operative visualization, reduced postoperative pain, reduced scar formation and increased postoperative mobility. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the application of this will continue to expand. Small animal reproduction, a field within the broad discipline of veterinary medicine, has already recognized and begun to reap the benefits of endoscopic surgery. Herein, we retrospectively review the most recent successful novel applications of endoscopic surgery in the small animal reproduction system to provide small animal reproductive surgeons with important knowledge to help improve their own veterinarian medical practice. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

76 FR 10379 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... making comments publicly available. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare... of the Guide and comply, as applicable, with the Animal Welfare Act and other Federal statutes and...

78 FR 24154 - Notice of Availability of a National Animal Health Laboratory Network Reorganization Concept Paper

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-24

...] Notice of Availability of a National Animal Health Laboratory Network Reorganization Concept Paper AGENCY... available a concept paper that describes a revised structure for the National Animal Health Laboratory... biological threats to the nation's food animals. The concept paper we are making available for comment...

Antimicrobial stewardship in small animal veterinary practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guardabassi, Luca; Prescott, John F

2015-01-01

Despite the increasing recognition of the critical role for antimicrobial stewardship in preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria, examples of effective antimicrobial stewardship programs are rare in small animal veterinary practice. This article highlights the basic requirements...

Modality comparison for small animal radiotherapy: A simulation study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazalova, Magdalena, E-mail: bazalova@stanford.edu; Nelson, Geoff; Noll, John M.; Graves, Edward E. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-01-15

Purpose: Small animal radiation therapy has advanced significantly in recent years. Whereas in the past dose was delivered using a single beam and a lead shield for sparing of healthy tissue, conformal doses can be now delivered using more complex dedicated small animal radiotherapy systems with image guidance. The goal of this paper is to investigate dose distributions for three small animal radiation treatment modalities. Methods: This paper presents a comparison of dose distributions generated by the three approaches—a single-field irradiator with a 200 kV beam and no image guidance, a small animal image-guided conformal system based on a modified microCT scanner with a 120 kV beam developed at Stanford University, and a dedicated conformal system, SARRP, using a 220 kV beam developed at Johns Hopkins University. The authors present a comparison of treatment plans for the three modalities using two cases: a mouse with a subcutaneous tumor and a mouse with a spontaneous lung tumor. A 5 Gy target dose was calculated using the EGSnrc Monte Carlo codes. Results: All treatment modalities generated similar dose distributions for the subcutaneous tumor case, with the highest mean dose to the ipsilateral lung and bones in the single-field plan (0.4 and 0.4 Gy) compared to the microCT (0.1 and 0.2 Gy) and SARRP (0.1 and 0.3 Gy) plans. The lung case demonstrated that due to the nine-beam arrangements in the conformal plans, the mean doses to the ipsilateral lung, spinal cord, and bones were significantly lower in the microCT plan (2.0, 0.4, and 1.9 Gy) and the SARRP plan (1.5, 0.5, and 1.8 Gy) than in single-field irradiator plan (4.5, 3.8, and 3.3 Gy). Similarly, the mean doses to the contralateral lung and the heart were lowest in the microCT plan (1.5 and 2.0 Gy), followed by the SARRP plan (1.7 and 2.2 Gy), and they were highest in the single-field plan (2.5 and 2.4 Gy). For both cases, dose uniformity was greatest in the single-field irradiator plan followed by

9 CFR 590.960 - Small importations for consignee's personal use, display, or laboratory analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... personal use, display, or laboratory analysis. 590.960 Section 590.960 Animals and Animal Products FOOD... personal use, display, or laboratory analysis. Any egg products which are offered for importation, exclusively for the consignee's personal use, display, or laboratory analysis, and not for sale or...

The effectiveness of computer-generated 3D animations in inquiry chemistry laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Theall, Rachel Morgan

It has been shown that students need a molecular-level understanding of substances in order to comprehend chemistry. For solid structures, atomic-level understanding requires students to learn additional and different concepts than for other states of matter. To aid understanding, animations were created to model unit cell structures and depict the properties of unit cells. In order to determine if these animations are helpful to students, they were tested during a laboratory exercise in which students had previously been using model kits and images from textbooks to learn about solid structures. Students evaluated in this study were from two lecture sections of general chemistry, one that routinely used animations during lecture and one that used a more traditional lecture format that did not include animations or models. Twelve laboratory sections of these lectures, taught by six different instructors each teaching two sections, were chosen for participation. One section for each instructor was given the animations as an optional tool for completing the laboratory assignment, which consisted of questions about unit cells and crystal structures. The results of the study indicate that students who looked at the animations performed significantly better on the assignment. For the control group, students who routinely viewed multiple representations of chemistry in lecture performed significantly better on the lab assignment than students in the lecture section where chemistry concepts were only presented on the chalkboard and overhead projector. Students in the traditional lecture section also had significantly less appreciation for the model kits used in the laboratory than students in the other lecture section. Observations of students in the lab combined with statistical results led to the revision of the solid structures investigation. Additional animations were created and inserted into the module that covered areas where students indicated more help was needed

On the surveillance for animal diseases in small herds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greiner, Matthias; Dekker, Aldo

2005-01-01

Small herds may present a problem in surveillance for infectious animal diseases because typical levels of a within-herd design prevalence are not directly applicable. We suggest a definition of small herds as those smaller than 2/(within-herd design prevalence) on the basis that such herds would...... be expected to have less than two (i.e. only one) infected animals. Consequently, the probability of detecting small herds cannot be improved by choosing a larger sample size within the herd. We derive necessary sample sizes of herds and the probability ("confidence") of detecting disease within a stratum...... conservative (lower) estimates of the confidence for a given sample size and should therefore be preferred....

A Survey on the Gastrointestinal Parasites of Rabbit and Guinea Pig in a Laboratory Animal House

OpenAIRE

Motamedi, G.,; Moharami, M.,; Paykari, H.,; Eslampanah, M.,; Omraninava, A.

2014-01-01

There is documented evidence that infection in laboratory animals can often influence the outcome of experiments. All infections, apparent or inapparent, are likely to increase biological variability. As a research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of rabbit and guinea pig in a conventional laboratory animal house, about 87 rabbits (from 700 ) and 105 guinea pigs (from 1500 ) were selected randomly from a Research, Production & Breeding of Laboratory Animals Depar...

Small animal MRI: clinical MRI as an interface to basic biomedical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinkernelle, J.G.; Stelter, L.; Hamm, B.; Teichgraeber, U.

2008-01-01

The demand for highly resolved small animal MRI for the purpose of biomedical research has increased constantly. Dedicated small animal MRI scanners working at ultra high field strengths from 4.7 to 7.0 T and even above are MRI at its best. However, using high resolution RF coils in clinical scanners up to 3.0 T, small animal MRI can achieve highly resolved images showing excellent tissue contrast. In fact, in abundant experimental studies, clinical MRI is used for small animal imaging. Mostly clinical RF coils in the single-loop design are applied. In addition, custom-built RF coils and even gradient inserts are used in a clinical scanner. For the reduction of moving artifacts, special MRI-compatible animal ECG und respiration devices are available. In conclusion, clinical devices offer broad availability, are less expense in combination with good imaging performance and provide a translational nature of imaging results. (orig.)

Monte Carlo simulations in small animal PET imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Branco, Susana [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Instituto de Biofisica e Engenharia Biomedica, Lisbon (Portugal)], E-mail: susana.silva@fc.ul.pt; Jan, Sebastien [Service Hospitalier Frederic Joliot, CEA/DSV/DRM, Orsay (France); Almeida, Pedro [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Instituto de Biofisica e Engenharia Biomedica, Lisbon (Portugal)

2007-10-01

This work is based on the use of an implemented Positron Emission Tomography (PET) simulation system dedicated for small animal PET imaging. Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE), a Monte Carlo simulation platform based on the Geant4 libraries, is well suited for modeling the microPET FOCUS system and to implement realistic phantoms, such as the MOBY phantom, and data maps from real examinations. The use of a microPET FOCUS simulation model with GATE has been validated for spatial resolution, counting rates performances, imaging contrast recovery and quantitative analysis. Results from realistic studies of the mouse body using {sup -}F and [{sup 18}F]FDG imaging protocols are presented. These simulations include the injection of realistic doses into the animal and realistic time framing. The results have shown that it is possible to simulate small animal PET acquisitions under realistic conditions, and are expected to be useful to improve the quantitative analysis in PET mouse body studies.

Observing Animal Behavior at the Zoo: A Learning Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Debra B.

2003-01-01

Undergraduate students in a learning laboratory course initially chose a species to study; researched that species' physical and behavioral characteristics; then learned skills necessary to select, operationalize, observe, and record animal behavior accurately. After their classroom preparation, students went to a local zoo to observe the behavior…

Use of Laboratory Animals in Biomedical and Behavioral Research

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1988-01-01

... of Laboratory Animals in Biomedical and Behavioral Research Commission on Life Sciences National Research Council Institute of Medicine NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1988 Copyrightoriginal retained, the be not from cannot book, paper original however, for version formatting, authoritative the typesetting-specific created from the as publ...

Dynamic {sup 18}F-fluoride small animal PET to noninvasively assess renal function in rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schnoeckel, Uta; Stegger, Lars; Schaefers, Klaus P.; Hermann, Sven; Schober, Otmar; Schaefers, Michael [Klinik und Poliklinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Muenster (Germany); Reuter, Stefan; Schlatter, Eberhard; Gabriels, Gert [Universitaetsklinikum Muenster, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik D, Experimentelle Nephrologie, Muenster (Germany)

2008-12-15

Renal function can be quantified by both laboratory and scintigraphic methods. In the case of small animal diagnostics, scintigraphic image-based methods are ideal since they can assess split renal function, work noninvasively, and can be repeated. The aim of this study is to validate a {sup 18}F-PET-based method to quantify renal function in rats. Fluoride clearance was calculated from a dynamic whole body listmode acquisition of 60 min length in a small animal PET scanner following an i.v. injection of 15 MBq {sup 18}F-fluoride. Volumes of interest (VOIs) were placed in the left ventricle and the bladder as well as traced around the kidney contours. The respective time-activity curves (TAC) were calculated. The renal {sup 18}F-clearance was calculated by the ratio of the total renal excreted activity (bladder VOI) and the integral of the blood TAC. PET-derived renal function was validated by intraindividual measurements of creatinine clearance (n=23), urea clearance (n=23), and tubular excretion rate (TER-MAG3). The split renal function was derived from the injection of the clinically available radionuclide {sup 99m}Tc-mercaptotriglycine by blood sampling and planar renography (n=8). In all animals studied, PET revealed high-quality TACs. PET-derived renal fluoride clearance was linearly correlated with intraindividual laboratory measures (PET vs. creatinine: r=0.78; PET vs. urea: r=0.73; PET vs. TER-MAG3: r=0.73). Split function was comparable ({sup 18}F-PET vs. MAG3-renography: r=0.98). PET-derived measures were highly reproducible. {sup 18}F-PET is able to noninvasively assess renal function in rats and provides a significant potential for serial studies in different experimental scenarios. (orig.)

21 CFR 312.160 - Drugs for investigational use in laboratory research animals or in vitro tests.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... research animals or in vitro tests. 312.160 Section 312.160 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Drugs for Investigational Use in Laboratory Research Animals or In Vitro Tests § 312.160 Drugs for investigational use in laboratory research animals or in vitro tests. (a) Authorization to ship. (1)(i) A person...

Laboratory animal science course in Switzerland: participants' points of view and implications for organizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Crettaz von Roten, Fabienne

2018-02-01

Switzerland has implemented a mandatory training in laboratory animal science since 1999; however a comprehensive assessment of its effects has never been undertaken so far. The results from the analysis of participants in the Swiss Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) Category B compulsory courses in laboratory animal science run in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 showed that the participants fully appreciated all elements of the course. The use of live animals during the course was supported and explained by six arguments characterized with cognitive, emotional and forward-looking factors. A large majority considered that the 3R (replacement, reduction and refinement) principles were adequately applied during the course. Responses to an open question offered some ideas for improvements. This overall positive picture, however, revealed divergent answers from different subpopulations in our sample (for example, scientists with more hindsight, scientists trained in biology, or participants from Asian countries).

Activities of the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (Animal Production and Health Newsletter, No. 63, January 2016)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

This article provides information on: • Animal Genetics: Genetic variation on the control of resistance to internal parasites in small ruminants for improving animal productivity; Support to MSs for implementation of Global Plan of Action on animal genetic resources (AnGR); • Animal Health: Application of irradiation technology to develop a potential trypanosome vaccine; African swine fever; Study of pox diseases in Ethiopian camels; • Fellows/interns/consultants; • Field suppprt missions

Airborne exposure to laboratory animal allergens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howard J Mason

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Exposure to laboratory animal allergens remains a significant cause of IgE-mediated occupational allergy and asthma. Since 2005, we have measured the major mouse and rat allergens (mus m 1 and rat n 1 collected on filters from air sampling in a range of UK and non-UK animal facilities. Supplied core data allowed us to construct an anonymized database of atmospheric results in ng m–3 containing 3080 mouse and 1392 rat analyses. Roughly twice as many static samples compared to personal samples had been sent for analysis. The medians (90th percentiles for the mouse and rat allergens employing personal atmospheric sampling were 2.6 (60.6 and 0.4 (12.4 ng m–3 respectively; for static samples the equivalent values were 0.2 (3.7 and 0.1 (1.4 ng m–3. Where unequivocal sample descriptors were provided with samples, results were categorised to activities/areas. Medians and 90th percentiles in these categories suggest that staff undertaking cleaning out, dumping of soiled bedding and cleaning cages can still have very substantial potential exposures in some facilities. The move to filtered cages appears to reduce general exposure, but filter changing and/or cleaning can lead to high exposures. In some facilities, animal receipt can cause significant exposures, as well as activities such as bleeding, culling and dosing; all activities involving the handling of animals outside of cages. We believe that the data presented may help those using air measurements in such facilities to improve their control of exposure to such aeroallergens, and thus reduce the risk of both sensitisation and subsequent allergic health problems, including the development of allergic asthma.

Phillips Laboratory small satellite initiatives

Science.gov (United States)

Lutey, Mark K.; Imler, Thomas A.; Davis, Robert J.

1993-09-01

The Phillips Laboratory Space Experiments Directorate in conjunction with the Air Force Space Test Program (AF STP), Defense Advanced Research and Projects Agency (DARPA) and Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO), are managing five small satellite program initiatives: Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile (LEAP) sponsored by SDIO, Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) sponsored by SDIO, Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability (TAOS) sponsored by Phillips Laboratory, TechSat sponsored by SDIO, and the Advanced Technology Standard Satellite Bus (ATSSB) sponsored by DARPA. Each of these spacecraft fulfills a unique set of program requirements. These program requirements range from a short-lived `one-of-a-kind' mission to the robust multi- mission role. Because of these diverging requirements, each program is driven to use a different design philosophy. But regardless of their design, there is the underlying fact that small satellites do not always equate to small missions. These spacecraft with their use of or ability to insert new technologies provide more capabilities and services for their respective payloads which allows the expansion of their mission role. These varying program efforts culminate in an ATSSB spacecraft bus approach that will support moderate size payloads, up to 500 pounds, in a large set of orbits while satisfying the `cheaper, faster, better' method of doing business. This technical paper provides an overview of each of the five spacecraft, focusing on the objectives, payoffs, technologies demonstrated, and program status.

A Survey on the Gastrointestinal Parasites of Rabbit and Guinea Pig in a Laboratory Animal House

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motamedi, G.,

2014-05-01

Full Text Available There is documented evidence that infection in laboratory animals can often influence the outcome of experiments. All infections, apparent or inapparent, are likely to increase biological variability. As a research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of rabbit and guinea pig in a conventional laboratory animal house, about 87 rabbits (from 700 and 105 guinea pigs (from 1500 were selected randomly from a Research, Production & Breeding of Laboratory Animals Department. Samples were collected between 19.02.2010 and 20.05.2011. The samples and animals were examined by dissection and flotation methods. In this study only one species of nematodes (Passalorus ambiguus: 6.9%; one species of protozoa (Eimeria spp.: 21.8% in rabbits and one species of nematodes (Paraspidodera Uncinata: 24.7%; one species of protozoa (Balantidium coli: 11.4% in guinea pigs were identified. However, there was not any cestodes or trematodes identified from this group of laboratory animals.

Experience of radiation treatment of laboratory and farm animal feeds in Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadudvari, I.

1979-01-01

The testing of methods suitable for the disinfection and sterilization of farm and laboratory animal feeds, and research into the effects of the methods on feeds and animals, started in Hungary within the last decade. Altogether, 871 tonnes of feeds sterilized and disinfected by various methods were used in 1976 for the feeding of farm and laboratory animals. Gamma radiation was used for sterilization of approx. 90 tonnes. Feeds for SPF animals were sterilized mainly at 1.5 Mrad, but 2.0-2.5 Mrad levels were also used. Feeds for germ-free animals were sterilized at a level of 4.5 Mrad. Experience gained over the past ten years has shown that irradiation at levels between 1.5 and 2.5 Mrad is excellent for the sterilization of mouse, rat, guinea pig and poultry feeds. Quality deterioration of the feeds remained slight and only slight decomposition of vitamins A and E and among the essential amino acids of lysine was observed. The irradiated feeds were readily consumed by the animals. In some cases, e.g. mice and rats, it was observed that weight gain in groups receiving irradiated diets exceeded that in groups fed on untreated or autoclaved diets, and at the same time the daily feed consumption in the groups receiving irradiated feed also increased. No adverse effect on reproduction and health of the farm and laboratory animals fed on irradiated feeds was observed. In Hungary the widespread use of feeds sterilized by irradiation is hindered, in spite of several advantages over feeds sterilized by conventional methods, mainly by the high cost of the irradiation and the supplemental costs associated with special packing and delivery. Therefore only a modest increase in the utilization of irradiated feeds can be expected in the next few years. (author)

Prompt gamma-ray imaging for small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Libai

Small animal imaging is recognized as a powerful discovery tool for small animal modeling of human diseases, which is providing an important clue to complete understanding of disease mechanisms and is helping researchers develop and test new treatments. The current small animal imaging techniques include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission tomography (SPECT), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US). A new imaging modality called prompt gamma-ray imaging (PGI) has been identified and investigated primarily by Monte Carlo simulation. Currently it is suggested for use on small animals. This new technique could greatly enhance and extend the present capabilities of PET and SPECT imaging from ingested radioisotopes to the imaging of selected non-radioactive elements, such as Gd, Cd, Hg, and B, and has the great potential to be used in Neutron Cancer Therapy to monitor neutron distribution and neutron-capture agent distribution. This approach consists of irradiating small animals in the thermal neutron beam of a nuclear reactor to produce prompt gamma rays from the elements in the sample by the radiative capture (n, gamma) reaction. These prompt gamma rays are emitted in energies that are characteristic of each element and they are also produced in characteristic coincident chains. After measuring these prompt gamma rays by surrounding spectrometry array, the distribution of each element of interest in the sample is reconstructed from the mapping of each detected signature gamma ray by either electronic collimations or mechanical collimations. In addition, the transmitted neutrons from the beam can be simultaneously used for very sensitive anatomical imaging, which provides the registration for the elemental distributions obtained from PGI. The primary approach is to use Monte Carlo simulation methods either with the specific purpose code CEARCPG, developed at NC State University or with the general purpose

An integrated multimodality image-guided robot system for small-animal imaging research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, Wen-Lin; Hsin Wu, Tung; Hsu, Shih-Ming; Chen, Chia-Lin; Lee, Jason J.S.; Huang, Yung-Hui

2011-01-01

We design and construct an image-guided robot system for use in small-animal imaging research. This device allows the use of co-registered small-animal PET-MRI images to guide the movements of robotic controllers, which will accurately place a needle probe at any predetermined location inside, for example, a mouse tumor, for biological readouts without sacrificing the animal. This system is composed of three major components: an automated robot device, a CCD monitoring mechanism, and a multimodality registration implementation. Specifically, the CCD monitoring mechanism was used for correction and validation of the robot device. To demonstrate the value of the proposed system, we performed a tumor hypoxia study that involved FMISO small-animal PET imaging and the delivering of a pO 2 probe into the mouse tumor using the image-guided robot system. During our evaluation, the needle positioning error was found to be within 0.153±0.042 mm of desired placement; the phantom simulation errors were within 0.693±0.128 mm. In small-animal studies, the pO 2 probe measurements in the corresponding hypoxia areas showed good correlation with significant, low tissue oxygen tensions (less than 6 mmHg). We have confirmed the feasibility of the system and successfully applied it to small-animal investigations. The system could be easily adapted to extend to other biomedical investigations in the future.

WE-H-206-02: Recent Advances in Multi-Modality Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsui, B. [Johns Hopkins University (United States)

2016-06-15

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

WE-H-206-02: Recent Advances in Multi-Modality Molecular Imaging of Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsui, B.

2016-01-01

Lihong V. Wang: Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining non-ionizing optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo multiscale functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in humans or animals. Light offers rich contrast but does not penetrate biological tissue in straight paths as x-rays do. Consequently, high-resolution pure optical imaging (e.g., confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, and optical coherence tomography) is limited to penetration within the optical diffusion limit (∼1 mm in the skin). Ultrasonic imaging, on the contrary, provides fine spatial resolution but suffers from both poor contrast in early-stage tumors and strong speckle artifacts. In PAT, pulsed laser light penetrates tissue and generates a small but rapid temperature rise, which induces emission of ultrasonic waves due to thermoelastic expansion. The ultrasonic waves, orders of magnitude less scattering than optical waves, are then detected to form high-resolution images of optical absorption at depths up to 7 cm, conquering the optical diffusion limit. PAT is the only modality capable of imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs (up to whole-body small animals) with consistent contrast. This rapidly growing technology promises to enable multiscale biological research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. PAT may also hold the key to label-free early detection of cancer by in vivo quantification of hypermetabolism, the quintessential hallmark of malignancy. Learning Objectives: To understand the contrast mechanism of PAT To understand the multiscale applications of PAT Benjamin M. W. Tsui: Multi-modality molecular imaging instrumentation and techniques have been major developments in small animal imaging that has contributed significantly

The Mammalian Microbiome and Its Importance in Laboratory Animal Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bleich, André; Fox, James G

2015-01-01

In this issue are assembled 10 fascinating, well-researched papers that describe the emerging field centered on the microbiome of vertebrate animals and how these complex microbial populations play a fundamental role in shaping homeostasis of the host. The content of the papers will deal with bacteria and, because of relative paucity of information on these organisms, will not include discussions on viruses, fungus, protozoa, and parasites that colonize various animals. Dissecting the number and interactions of the 500-1000 bacterial species that can inhabit the intestines of animals is made possible by advanced DNA sequencing methods, which do not depend on whether the organism can be cultured or not. Laboratory animals, particularly rodents, have proven to be an indispensable component in not only understanding how the microbiome aids in digestion and protects the host against pathogens, but also in understanding the relationship of various species of bacteria to development of the immune system. Importantly, this research elucidates purported mechanisms for how the microbiome can profoundly affect initiation and progression of diseases such as type 1 diabetes, metabolic syndromes, obesity, autoimmune arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. The strengths and limitations of the use of germfree mice colonized with single species of bacteria, a restricted flora, or most recently the use of human-derived microbiota are also discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Improving the Reliability of Tinnitus Screening in Laboratory Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Aikeen; May, Bradford J

2017-02-01

Behavioral screening remains a contentious issue for animal studies of tinnitus. Most paradigms base a positive tinnitus test on an animal's natural tendency to respond to the "sound" of tinnitus as if it were an actual sound. As a result, animals with tinnitus are expected to display sound-conditioned behaviors when no sound is present or to miss gaps in background sounds because tinnitus "fills in the gap." Reliable confirmation of the behavioral indications of tinnitus can be problematic because the reinforcement contingencies of conventional discrimination tasks break down an animal's tendency to group tinnitus with sound. When responses in silence are rewarded, animals respond in silence regardless of their tinnitus status. When responses in silence are punished, animals stop responding. This study introduces stimulus classification as an alternative approach to tinnitus screening. Classification procedures train animals to respond to the common perceptual features that define a group of sounds (e.g., high pitch or narrow bandwidth). Our procedure trains animals to drink when they hear tinnitus and to suppress drinking when they hear other sounds. Animals with tinnitus are revealed by their tendency to drink in the presence of unreinforced probe sounds that share the perceptual features of the tinnitus classification. The advantages of this approach are illustrated by taking laboratory rats through a testing sequence that includes classification training, the experimental induction of tinnitus, and postinduction screening. Behavioral indications of tinnitus are interpreted and then verified by simulating a known tinnitus percept with objective sounds.

Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R.

2017-01-01

Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

Implementation of immobilization accessories for positioning of small animals for radiation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vettorato, M.C.; Girotto, C.H.; Fogaça, J.L.; Vulcano, L.C.; Fernandes, M.A.R., E-mail: m_vettorato@hotmail.com [Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, SP (Brazil)

2017-11-15

Radiation therapy is a modality that is presenting great advances in veterinary medicine worldwide. In Brazil, this therapeutic option is underachieved. The success of this method depends on several factors, including the use of appropriate accessories for protection and immobilization of patients. For the immobilization of small animals during treatment, in addition to sedation and anesthesia, immobilizing accessories, similar to those used in human radiotherapy, are used. This study aimed to present proposals for immobilizing accessories adapted to the positioning of small animals in order to be used in radiotherapy planning. In order to achieve results, accessories were made and tested in a living animal simulating a radiotherapy planning, which proved to be favorable to use in positioning small animals undergoing radiotherapy and for implementation processes. (author)

Design considerations and construction of a small animal PET prototype

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tzanakos, G.; Nikolaou, M.; Drakoulakos, D.; Karamitros, D.; Kontaxakis, G.; Logaras, E.; Panayiotakis, G.; Pavlopoulos, S.; Skiadas, M.; Spyrou, G.; Thireou, T.; Vamvakas, D.

2006-01-01

We are developing a small animal PET scanner consisting of two block detectors, each made of 216 BGO crystals of dimensions 3.75 mmx3.75 mmx20 mm, cylindrically arranged and coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (R2486 PSPMT). Our design was based on a very detailed Monte Carlo, that simulates the function of a PET scanner from the system level down to the individual γ-ray detectors. We have made laboratory measurements of the individual detector performance as well as measurements of characteristics of the PSPMTs. The two detector blocks which will form the basic tomographic unit have been assembled. We are developing electronics to individually process (amplify and digitize) anode signals, and use field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in the position determination and energy measurement of the γ-rays. At present, as an intermediate step, we are using the electronics supplied from Hamamatsu to study various aspects of the system and produce initial images

The bedding of laboratory animals as a source of airborne contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaliste, E; Linnainmaa, M; Meklin, T; Torvinen, E; Nevalainen, A

2004-01-01

In work environments with laboratory animals, the bedding of animals binds the excreta as well as other compounds originating from the animals and their environment. These may be generated into the ambient air when the personnel handle bedding in different procedures. This study compares the dustiness of different types of six clean and four soiled beddings from rat or mouse cages. The dust generation of clean bedding varied from beddings decreased, increased or stayed the same, depending on the type of bedding and animal species. A decrease in dustiness was, however, more common. The levels in the soiled beddings varied from bedding, the contents of bedding used in mouse, rat or rabbit cages were analysed for mesophilic bacteria and fungi, mycobacteria and endotoxins. All of these contaminants were variably found in the bedding samples, the maximal concentrations for bacteria were >6 500 000 colony-forming units (cfu)/g, for fungi 212 000 cfu/g, and for endotoxins 6500 ng/g (81 000 EU/g). The results showed that the bedding of laboratory animals may contain biologically effective compounds, and that these may be distributed into the ambient air depending on the characteristics of the bedding material. The dustiness of different bedding types is an important factor affecting the amount and quality of the occupational exposure of the personnel to airborne contaminants.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden; Technische Univ. Dresden; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden

2014-01-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology. A bidirectional translational approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tillner, Falk; Buetof, Rebecca [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Thute, Prasad [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Krause, Mechthild [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg (Germany); Enghardt, Wolfgang [Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany); Technische Univ. Dresden (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany). Inst. of Radiooncology

2014-07-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained.

Can TTIP Improve Laboratory Animal Welfare in Safety Testing and 3Rs?

Science.gov (United States)

Busquet, Francois; Zurlo, Joanne; Hartung, Thomas

2016-05-01

In the context of the current negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the United States under the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP), there is the opportunity to look at both legislative frameworks to better pinpoint convergences, synergies, and gaps when it comes to use of laboratory animals for scientific purposes and bring together the best of both worlds. The objectives in this article are to indicate what are the current EU pieces of legislation that are relevant under TTIP regarding the uses of laboratory animals for scientific purposes under the regulations about cosmetics and chemicals, among others. The same approach will be taken to look at the relevant American legal frameworks, that is, the Food and Cosmetics Act and the Toxic Safety Control Act as well as its most recent reauthorization. In conclusion, the authors will identify future frameworks that can contribute to the harmonization of regulatory standards and further steps where TTIP negotiators should strengthen regulatory cooperation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Techniques necessary for multiple tracer quantitative small-animal imaging studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, Terry L.; Dence, Carmen S.; Engelbach, John A.; Herrero, Pilar; Gropler, Robert J.; Welch, Michael J.

2005-01-01

Introduction: An increasing number and variety of studies on rodent models are being conducted using small-animal positron emission tomography scanners. We aimed to determine if animal handling techniques could be developed to perform routine animal imaging in a timely and efficient manner and with minimal effect on animal physiology. These techniques need to be reproducible in the same animal while maintaining hemodynamic and physiological stability. Methods: The necessary techniques include (a) the use of inhalant anesthesia, (b) arterial and venous cannulation for multiple tracer administrations and blood sampling, (c) development of small-volume analytic columns and techniques and (d) measurement of the physiological environment during the imaging session. Results: We provide an example of a cardiac imaging study using four radiotracers ( 15 O-water, 1-[ 11 C]-acetate, 1-[ 11 C]-palmitate and 1-[ 11 C]-glucose) injected into normal rats. Plasma substrates, CO 2 production and total metabolites were measured. The animals remained anesthetized over the entire imaging session, and their physiological state was maintained. Conclusion: The intrastudy stability of the physiological measurements and substrate levels and interstudy reproducibility of the measurements are reported

Technology challenges in small animal PET imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecomte, Roger

2004-01-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging modality allowing biochemical processes to be investigated in vivo with sensitivity in the picomolar range. For this reason, PET has the potential to play a major role in the emerging field of molecular imaging by enabling the study of molecular pathways and genetic processes in living animals non-invasively. The challenge is to obtain a spatial resolution that is appropriate for rat and mouse imaging, the preferred animal models for research in biology, while achieving a sensitivity adequate for real-time measurement of rapid dynamic processes in vivo without violating tracer kinetic principles. An overview of the current state of development of dedicated small animal PET scanners is given, and selected applications are reported and discussed with respect to performance and significance to research in biology

Radionuclide contaminant analysis of small mammals at Area G, TA-54, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, K.; Biggs, J.; Fresquez, P.

1997-01-01

At Los Alamos National Laboratory, small mammals were sampled at two waste burial sites (Site 1-recently disturbed and Site 2-partially disturbed) at Area G, Technical Area 54 and a control site on Frijoles Mesa (Site 4) in 1995. Our objectives were (1) to identify radionuclides that are present within surface and subsurface soils at waste burial sites, (2) to compare the amount of radionuclide uptake by small mammals at waste burial sites to a control site, and (3) to identify if the primary mode of contamination to small mammals is by surface contact or ingestion/inhalation. Three composite samples of at least rive animals per sample were collected at each site. Pelts and carcasses of each animal were separated and analyzed independently. Samples were analyzed for 241 Am, 90 Sr , 238 Pu, 239 Pu, total U, 137 Cs, and 3 H. Significantly higher (parametric West at p=0.05) levels of total U, 241 Am, 238 Pu and 239 Pu were detected in pelts than in carcasses of small mammals at TA-54. Concentrations of other measured radionuclides in carcasses were nearly equal to or exceeded the mean concentrations in the pelts. Our results show higher concentrations in pelts compared to carcasses, which is similar to what has been found at waste burial/contaminated sites outside of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Site 1 had a significantly higher (alpha=0.05, P=0.0125) mean tritium concentration in carcasses than Site 2 or Site 4. In addition Site 1 also had a significantly higher (alpha=0.05, p=0.0024) mean tritium concentration in pelts than Site 2 or Site 4. Site 2 had a significantly higher (alpha=0.05, P=0.0499) mean 239 Pu concentration in carcasses than either Site 1 or Site 4

Serological evidence for hepatitis e virus infection in laboratory monkeys and pigs in animal facilities in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Hiroshi; Li, Tian-Cheng; Koshimoto, Chihiro; Ito, Kaori; Kita, Masakazu; Miyashita, Nobumoto; Arikawa, Jiro; Yagami, Kenichi; Asano, Masahide; Tezuka, Hideo; Suzuki, Noboru; Kurosawa, Tsutomu; Shibahara, Toshiyuki; Furuya, Masato; Mohri, Shirou; Sato, Hiroshi; Ohsawa, Kazutaka; Ibuki, Kentaro; Takeda, Naokazu

2008-07-01

In laboratory animal facilities, monkeys and pigs are used for animal experiments, but the details of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in these animals are unknown. The risk of infection from laboratory animals to humans has become a concern; therefore, much attention should be paid to the handling of these animals during their care and use, including surgical procedures performed on infected animals. In this connection, serum samples collected from 916 monkeys and 77 pigs kept in 23 animal facilities belonging to the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of National University Corporations (JALAN) and the Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Facilities of Public and Private Universities (JALAP) in Japan were examined for the purpose of detecting antibodies to HEV and HEV RNA by using ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. One hundred and seven serum samples of 916 (11.7%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgG, and 7 and 17 serum samples of 916 (0.8% and 5.3%) monkeys were positive for anti-HEV IgM and IgA, respectively. Thirty-six samples from 62 (58.1%) farm pigs were positive for anti-HEV IgG, whereas all samples tested from miniature pigs were negative (0/15, 0%). Seven samples from 62 (9.1%) farm pigs and 7 samples from 916 (0.8%) monkeys were positive for IgM antibody, but these HEV-IgM antibody positive serum samples were HEV-RNA negative by RT-PCR. The IgM antibody positive rate (9.1%) of farm pigs was much higher than that of monkeys (0.8%). These results suggest the relative levels of risk of HEV infection from these animals to animal handlers and researchers who work with them in laboratory animal facilities.

Annual progress report, 1 January 1975--31 December 1975. [Information center on laboratory animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1975-01-01

The Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) was founded in 1952 under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC). Located within the Division of Biological Sciences, Assembly of Life Sciences, ILAR serves as a coordinating agency to disseminate information, survey existing and required resources, establish standards and guidelines, promote education, hold conferences, and, generally, upgrade laboratory animal resources within the United States. Activities during 1976 are reported.

Management of occupational health risks in small-animal veterinary practices.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Souza, Eva; Barraclough, Richard; Fishwick, David; Curran, Andrew

2009-08-01

Small-animal work is a major element of veterinary practice in the UK and may be hazardous, with high levels of work-related injuries and ill-health reported in Australia and USA. There are no studies addressing the management of occupational health risks arising from small-animal work in the UK. To investigate the sources of health and safety information used and how health and safety and 12 specific occupational health risks are managed by practices. A cross-sectional postal survey of all small-animal veterinary practices in Hampshire. A response was mandatory as this was a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) inspection activity. A total of 118 (100%) practices responded of which 93 were eligible for inclusion. Of these, 99 and 86%, respectively, were aware of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) practice standards and had British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) staff members, while only 51% had previous contact with HSE (publications, advice and visit). Ninety per cent had health and safety policies, but only 31% had trained responsible staff in health and safety. Specific health hazards such as occupational allergens and computer use were relatively overlooked both by practices and the RCVS/BSAVA guidance available in 2002. Failings in active health risk management systems could be due to a lack of training to ensure competence in those with responsibilities. Practices rely on guidance produced by their professional bodies. Current RCVS guidance, available since 2005, has remedied some previous omissions, but further improvements are recommended.

Pre-clinical research in small animals using radiotherapy technology--a bidirectional translational approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Bütof, Rebecca; Krause, Mechthild; Enghardt, Wolfgang

2014-12-01

For translational cancer research, pre-clinical in-vivo studies using small animals have become indispensable in bridging the gap between in-vitro cell experiments and clinical implementation. When setting up such small animal experiments, various biological, technical and methodical aspects have to be considered. In this work we present a comprehensive topical review based on relevant publications on irradiation techniques used for pre-clinical cancer research in mice and rats. Clinical radiotherapy treatment devices for the application of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy as well as dedicated research irradiation devices are feasible for small animal irradiation depending on the animal model and the experimental goals. In this work, appropriate solutions for the technological transfer of human radiation oncology to small animal radiation research are summarised. Additionally, important information concerning the experimental design is provided such that reliable and clinically relevant results can be attained. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Non-Invasive in vivo Imaging in Small Animal Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Koo

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Non-invasive real time in vivo molecular imaging in small animal models has become the essential bridge between in vitro data and their translation into clinical applications. The tremendous development and technological progress, such as tumour modelling, monitoring of tumour growth and detection of metastasis, has facilitated translational drug development. This has added to our knowledge on carcinogenesis. The modalities that are commonly used include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, Computed Tomography (CT, Positron Emission Tomography (PET, bioluminescence imaging, fluorescence imaging and multi-modality imaging systems. The ability to obtain multiple images longitudinally provides reliable information whilst reducing animal numbers. As yet there is no one modality that is ideal for all experimental studies. This review outlines the instrumentation available together with corresponding applications reported in the literature with particular emphasis on cancer research. Advantages and limitations to current imaging technology are discussed and the issues concerning small animal care during imaging are highlighted.

Anaerobic treatment of animal byproducts from slaughterhouses at laboratory and pilot scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Edström, Mats; Nordberg, Ake; Thyselius, Lennart

2003-01-01

Different mixtures of animal byproducts, other slaughterhouse waste (i.e., rumen, stomach and intestinal content), food waste, and liquid manure were codigested at mesophilic conditions (37 degrees C) at laboratory and pilot scale. Animal byproducts, including blood, represent 70-80% of the total biogas potential from waste generated during slaughter of animals. The total biogas potential from waste generated during slaughter is about 1300 MJ/cattle and about 140 MJ/pig. Fed-batch digestion of pasteurized (70 degrees C, 1 h) animal byproducts resulted in a fourfold increase in biogas yield (1.14 L/g of volatile solids [VS]) compared with nonpasteurized animal byproducts (0.31 L/g of VS). Mixtures with animal byproducts representing 19-38% of the total dry matter were digested in continuous-flow stirred tank reactors at laboratory and pilot scale. Stable processes at organic loading rates (OLRs) exceeding 2.5 g of VS/(L.d) and hydraulic retention times (HRTs) less than 40 d could be obtained with total ammonia nitrogen concentrations (NH4-N + NH3-N) in the range of 4.0-5.0 g/L. After operating one process for more than 1.5 yr at total ammonia nitrogen concentrations >4 g/L, an increase in OLR to 5 g of VS/(L.d) and a decrease in HRT to 22 d was possible without accumulation of volatile fatty acids.

Hyperpolarized singlet NMR on a small animal imaging system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Christoffer; Pileio, Giuseppe; Tayler, Michael C. D.

2012-01-01

Nuclear spin hyperpolarization makes a significant advance toward overcoming the sensitivity limitations of in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, particularly in the case of low-gamma nuclei. The sensitivity may be improved further by storing the hyperpolarization in slowly relaxing singlet...... populations of spin- 1/2 pairs. Here, we report hyperpolarized 13C spin order transferred into and retrieved from singlet spin order using a small animal magnetic resonance imaging scanner. For spins in sites with very similar chemical shifts, singlet spin order is sustained in high magnetic field without...... requiring strong radiofrequency irradiation. The demonstration of robust singlet-to-magnetization conversion, and vice versa, on a small animal scanner, is promising for future in vivo and clinical deployments....

Marketing small animal theriogenology services--one perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, J A

2007-08-01

Once a decision is made to add small animal theriogenology services to a practice, marketing strategies must be developed and implemented to attract clients to the new services. Marketing strategies for the niche market of theriogenology include start-up marketing methods, referral programs, internal marketing, and continued marketing. Marketing theriogenology services is a dynamic, ongoing process that never ends.

An Efficient, Simple, and Noninvasive Procedure for Genotyping Aquatic and Nonaquatic Laboratory Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Okada, Morihiro; Miller, Thomas C; Roediger, Julia; Shi, Yun-Bo; Schech, Joseph Mat

2017-09-01

Various animal models are indispensible in biomedical research. Increasing awareness and regulations have prompted the adaptation of more humane approaches in the use of laboratory animals. With the development of easier and faster methodologies to generate genetically altered animals, convenient and humane methods to genotype these animals are important for research involving such animals. Here, we report skin swabbing as a simple and noninvasive method for extracting genomic DNA from mice and frogs for genotyping. We show that this method is highly reliable and suitable for both immature and adult animals. Our approach allows a simpler and more humane approach for genotyping vertebrate animals.

The role and importance of veterinary laboratories in the prevention and control of infectious diseases of animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Truszczyński, M J

1998-08-01

Veterinary laboratories which deal with infectious diseases form three groups according to the tasks for which they are responsible. The first group includes central or national veterinary laboratories, national or international reference laboratories, high-security laboratories, district regional or state veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The major role of these laboratories is to assist national Veterinary Services in diagnosing infectious animal diseases. The second group comprises laboratories that produce veterinary diagnostic kits and those that produce veterinary vaccines. The third group is composed of veterinary research laboratories, which generally concentrate on basic research and do not contribute directly to the diagnosis and control of infectious animal diseases. The author describes the objectives of each of the three groups of laboratories.

Assessment of the sources of error affecting the quantitative accuracy of SPECT imaging in small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Berkeley; Department of Radiology, University of California; Gullberg, Grant T; Hwang, Andrew B.; Franc, Benjamin L.; Gullberg, Grant T.; Hasegawa, Bruce H.

2008-02-15

Small animal SPECT imaging systems have multiple potential applications in biomedical research. Whereas SPECT data are commonly interpreted qualitatively in a clinical setting, the ability to accurately quantify measurements will increase the utility of the SPECT data for laboratory measurements involving small animals. In this work, we assess the effect of photon attenuation, scatter and partial volume errors on the quantitative accuracy of small animal SPECT measurements, first with Monte Carlo simulation and then confirmed with experimental measurements. The simulations modeled the imaging geometry of a commercially available small animal SPECT system. We simulated the imaging of a radioactive source within a cylinder of water, and reconstructed the projection data using iterative reconstruction algorithms. The size of the source and the size of the surrounding cylinder were varied to evaluate the effects of photon attenuation and scatter on quantitative accuracy. We found that photon attenuation can reduce the measured concentration of radioactivity in a volume of interest in the center of a rat-sized cylinder of water by up to 50percent when imaging with iodine-125, and up to 25percent when imaging with technetium-99m. When imaging with iodine-125, the scatter-to-primary ratio can reach up to approximately 30percent, and can cause overestimation of the radioactivity concentration when reconstructing data with attenuation correction. We varied the size of the source to evaluate partial volume errors, which we found to be a strong function of the size of the volume of interest and the spatial resolution. These errors can result in large (>50percent) changes in the measured amount of radioactivity. The simulation results were compared with and found to agree with experimental measurements. The inclusion of attenuation correction in the reconstruction algorithm improved quantitative accuracy. We also found that an improvement of the spatial resolution through the

Hyperspectral small animal fluorescence imaging: spectral selection imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Leavesley, Silas; Jiang, Yanan; Patsekin, Valery; Hall, Heidi; Vizard, Douglas; Robinson, J. Paul

2008-02-01

Molecular imaging is a rapidly growing area of research, fueled by needs in pharmaceutical drug-development for methods for high-throughput screening, pre-clinical and clinical screening for visualizing tumor growth and drug targeting, and a growing number of applications in the molecular biology fields. Small animal fluorescence imaging employs fluorescent probes to target molecular events in vivo, with a large number of molecular targeting probes readily available. The ease at which new targeting compounds can be developed, the short acquisition times, and the low cost (compared to microCT, MRI, or PET) makes fluorescence imaging attractive. However, small animal fluorescence imaging suffers from high optical scattering, absorption, and autofluorescence. Much of these problems can be overcome through multispectral imaging techniques, which collect images at different fluorescence emission wavelengths, followed by analysis, classification, and spectral deconvolution methods to isolate signals from fluorescence emission. We present an alternative to the current method, using hyperspectral excitation scanning (spectral selection imaging), a technique that allows excitation at any wavelength in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range. In many cases, excitation imaging may be more effective at identifying specific fluorescence signals because of the higher complexity of the fluorophore excitation spectrum. Because the excitation is filtered and not the emission, the resolution limit and image shift imposed by acousto-optic tunable filters have no effect on imager performance. We will discuss design of the imager, optimizing the imager for use in small animal fluorescence imaging, and application of spectral analysis and classification methods for identifying specific fluorescence signals.

Small Stakes Risk Aversion in the Laboratory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrison, Glenn W.; Lau, Morten; Ross, Don

Evidence of risk aversion in laboratory settings over small stakes leads to a priori implausible levels of risk aversion over large stakes under certain assumptions. One core assumption in standard statements of this calibration puzzle is that individuals define utility over terminal wealth......, and that terminal wealth is defined as the sum of extra-lab wealth and any wealth accumulated in the lab. This assumption is often used in Expected Utility Theory, as well as popular alternatives such as RankDependent Utility theory. Another core assumption is that the small-stakes risk aversion is observed over...... all levels of wealth, or over a “sufficiently large” range of wealth. Although this second assumption if often viewed as self-evident from the vast experimental literature showing risk aversion over laboratory stakes, it actually requires that lab wealth be varied for a given subject as one takes...

Field Research Studying Whales in an Undergraduate Animal Behavior Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

MacLaren, R. David; Schulte, Dianna; Kennedy, Jen

2012-01-01

This work describes a new field research laboratory in an undergraduate animal behavior course involving the study of whale behavior, ecology and conservation in partnership with a non-profit research organization--the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation (BOS). The project involves two weeks of training and five weekend trips on whale watch…

Simplified quantification of small animal [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies using a standard arterial input function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Philipp T. [University Hospital Aachen, Department of Neurology, Aachen (Germany); Circiumaru, Valentina; Thomas, Daniel H. [University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia (United States); Cardi, Christopher A.; Bal, Harshali; Acton, Paul D. [Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia (United States)

2006-08-15

Arterial input function (AIF) measurement for quantification of small animal PET studies is technically challenging and limited by the small blood volume of small laboratory animals. The present study investigated the use of a standard arterial input function (SAIF) to simplify the experimental procedure. Twelve [{sup 18}F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([{sup 18}F]FDG) PET studies accompanied by serial arterial blood sampling were acquired in seven male Sprague-Dawley rats under isoflurane anaesthesia without (every rat) and with additional (five rats) vibrissae stimulation. A leave-one-out procedure was employed to validate the use of a SAIF with individual scaling by one (1S) or two (2S) arterial blood samples. Automatic slow bolus infusion of [{sup 18}F]FDG resulted in highly similar AIF in all rats. The average differences of the area under the curve of the measured AIF and the individually scaled SAIF were 0.11{+-}4.26% and 0.04{+-}2.61% for the 1S (6-min sample) and the 2S (4-min/43-min samples) approach, respectively. The average differences between the cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMR{sub glc}) calculated using the measured AIF and the scaled SAIF were 1.31{+-}5.45% and 1.30{+-}3.84% for the 1S and the 2S approach, respectively. The use of a SAIF scaled by one or (preferably) two arterial blood samples can serve as a valid substitute for individual AIF measurements to quantify [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies in rats. The SAIF approach minimises the loss of blood and should be ideally suited for longitudinal quantitative small animal [{sup 18}F]FDG PET studies. (orig.)

Meeting report: batch-to-batch variability in estrogenic activity in commercial animal diets--importance and approaches for laboratory animal research.

Science.gov (United States)

Heindel, Jerrold J; vom Saal, Frederick S

2008-03-01

We report information from two workshops sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that were held to a) assess whether dietary estrogens could significantly impact end points in experimental animals, and b) involve program participants and feed manufacturers to address the problems associated with measuring and eliminating batch-to-batch variability in rodent diets that may lead to conflicting findings in animal experiments within and between laboratories. Data were presented at the workshops showing that there is significant batch-to-batch variability in estrogenic content of commercial animal diets, and that this variability results in differences in experimental outcomes. A combination of methods were proposed to determine levels of total estrogenic activity and levels of specific estrogenic constituents in soy-containing, casein-containing, and other soy-free rodent diets. Workshop participants recommended that researchers pay greater attention to the type of diet being used in animal studies and choose a diet whose estrogenic activity (or lack thereof) is appropriate for the experimental model and end points of interest. Information about levels of specific phytoestrogens, as well as estrogenic activity caused by other contaminants and measured by bioassay, should be disclosed in scientific publications. This will require laboratory animal diet manufacturers to provide investigators with information regarding the phytoestrogen content and other estrogenic compounds in commercial diets used in animal research.

Inactivation by gamma irradiation of animal viruses in simulated laboratory effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, F.C.; Ouwerkerk, T.; McKercher, P.

1982-01-01

Several animal viruses were treated with gamma radiation from a 60 Co source under conditions which might be found in effluent from an animal disease laboratory. Swine vesicular disease virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and blue-tongue virus were irradiated in tissues from experimentally infected animals. Pseudorabies virus, fowl plague virus, swine vesicular disease virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus were irradiated in liquid animal feces. All were tested in animals and in vitro. The D 10 values, that is, the doses required to reduce infectivity by 1 log 10 , were not apparently different from those expected from predictions based on other data and theoretical considerations. The existence of the viruses in pieces of tissues or in liquid feces made no differences in the efficacy of the gamma radiation for inactivating them. Under the ''worst case'' conditions (most protective for virus) simulated in this study, no infectious agents would survive 4.0 Mrads

Small Animal Massage Therapy: A Brief Review and Relevant Observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Formenton, Maira Rezende; Pereira, Marco Aurélio Amador; Fantoni, Denise Tabacchi

2017-12-01

Massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular in human and animal physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Wider application of the technique led to research efforts aimed at providing scientific support to anecdotal beneficial effects, particularly pain relief. Recent studies have shown that massage therapy alters dopamine and serotonin levels, decreases noradrenaline levels, and modulates the immune system. Psychological effects such as reduction of stress and anxiety, with improvement of depressive patients, have been reported in humans. This article set out to review the major aspects of massage therapy based on recent publications on the topic, and to extrapolate concepts and practical aspects described in human physiotherapy to the veterinary patient, particularly the applicability of different techniques in Small Animal Medicine. Indications of massage therapy in small animals include pain relief, orthopedic rehabilitation, Canine Sports Medicine, intensive care, and management of nonspecific edema. Techniques described in this article were originally intended for use in humans and scientific data supporting anecdotal, beneficial effects in domestic animals are still lacking; this fruitful area for research is therefore open to veterinary professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russo, G. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Pisciotta, P., E-mail: pietro.pisciotta@ibfm.cnr.it [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy); Cirrone, G.A.P.; Romano, F. [National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy); Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G.I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Acquaviva, R. [University of Catania, Catania (Italy); Gilardi, M.C. [Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, IBFM CNR-LATO, Cefalú (Italy); Cuttone, G. [National Institute for Nuclear Physics, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, INFN-LNS, Catania (Italy)

2017-02-21

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, G.; Pisciotta, P.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Romano, F.; Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G. I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V.; Acquaviva, R.; Gilardi, M. C.; Cuttone, G.

2017-02-01

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Preliminary study for small animal preclinical hadrontherapy facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russo, G.; Pisciotta, P.; Cirrone, G.A.P.; Romano, F.; Cammarata, F.; Marchese, V.; Forte, G.I.; Lamia, D.; Minafra, L.; Bravatá, V.; Acquaviva, R.; Gilardi, M.C.; Cuttone, G.

2017-01-01

Aim of this work is the study of the preliminary steps to perform a particle treatment of cancer cells inoculated in small animals and to realize a preclinical hadrontherapy facility. A well-defined dosimetric protocol was developed to explicate the steps needed in order to perform a precise proton irradiation in small animals and achieve a highly conformal dose into the target. A precise homemade positioning and holding system for small animals was designed and developed at INFN-LNS in Catania (Italy), where an accurate Monte Carlo simulation was developed, using Geant4 code to simulate the treatment in order to choose the best animal position and perform accurately all the necessary dosimetric evaluations. The Geant4 application can also be used to realize dosimetric studies and its peculiarity consists in the possibility to introduce the real target composition in the simulation using the DICOM micro-CT image. This application was fully validated comparing the results with the experimental measurements. The latter ones were performed at the CATANA (Centro di AdroTerapia e Applicazioni Nucleari Avanzate) facility at INFN-LNS by irradiating both PMMA and water solid phantom. Dosimetric measurements were performed using previously calibrated EBT3 Gafchromic films as a detector and the results were compared with the Geant4 simulation ones. In particular, two different types of dosimetric studies were performed: the first one involved irradiation of a phantom made up of water solid slabs where a layer of EBT3 was alternated with two different slabs in a sandwich configuration, in order to validate the dosimetric distribution. The second one involved irradiation of a PMMA phantom made up of a half hemisphere and some PMMA slabs in order to simulate a subcutaneous tumour configuration, normally used in preclinical studies. In order to evaluate the accordance between experimental and simulation results, two different statistical tests were made: Kolmogorov test and

Technical note - Considerations for MR imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, Martin A.

2011-01-01

Routine clinical veterinary use of MR scanning is becoming more common. This article addresses the major technical considerations for radiographers performing MR examinations on small animals and provides practical advice for scanning techniques.

Dry coupling for whole-body small-animal photoacoustic computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Chenghung; Li, Lei; Zhu, Liren; Xia, Jun; Li, Chiye; Chen, Wanyi; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Maslov, Konstantin I.; Wang, Lihong V.

2017-04-01

We have enhanced photoacoustic computed tomography with dry acoustic coupling that eliminates water immersion anxiety and wrinkling of the animal and facilitates incorporating complementary modalities and procedures. The dry acoustic coupler is made of a tubular elastic membrane enclosed by a closed transparent water tank. The tubular membrane ensures water-free contact with the animal, and the closed water tank allows pressurization for animal stabilization. The dry coupler was tested using a whole-body small-animal ring-shaped photoacoustic computed tomography system. Dry coupling was found to provide image quality comparable to that of conventional water coupling.

Optimizing laboratory animal stress paradigms: The H-H* experimental design.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, Richard

2017-01-01

Major advances in behavioral neuroscience have been facilitated by the development of consistent and highly reproducible experimental paradigms that have been widely adopted. In contrast, many different experimental approaches have been employed to expose laboratory mice and rats to acute versus chronic intermittent stress. An argument is advanced in this review that more consistent approaches to the design of chronic intermittent stress experiments would provide greater reproducibility of results across laboratories and greater reliability relating to various neural, endocrine, immune, genetic, and behavioral adaptations. As an example, the H-H* experimental design incorporates control, homotypic (H), and heterotypic (H*) groups and allows for comparisons across groups, where each animal is exposed to the same stressor, but that stressor has vastly different biological and behavioral effects depending upon each animal's prior stress history. Implementation of the H-H* experimental paradigm makes possible a delineation of transcriptional changes and neural, endocrine, and immune pathways that are activated in precisely defined stressor contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

SU-E-U-02: The Development of a Practical Ultrasonic System for Cross-Sectional Imaging of Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kamp, J [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Malyarenko, E [Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Tessonics Corp, Birmingham, MI (United Kingdom); Chen, D [Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Wydra, A [True Phantoms Solutions, Windsor, ON (Canada); University of Windsor - Institute for Diagnostic Imaging Research, Windsor, ON (Canada); Maev, R [Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (United States); Karmanos Cancer Institute - International Imaging Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Tessonics Corp, Birmingham, MI (United Kingdom); True Phantoms Solutions, Windsor, ON (Canada); University of Windsor - Institute for Diagnostic Imaging Research, Windsor, ON (Canada)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To test the feasibility of developing a practical medium frequency ultrasound tomography method for small animal imaging. The ability to produce cross-sectional or full body images of a live small animal using a low-cost tabletop ultrasound scanner without any special license would be very beneficial to long term biological studies, where repeated scanning is often required over an extended period of time. Methods: The cross sectional images were produced by compounding multiple B-scans of a laboratory phantom or an animal acquired at different projection angles. Two imaging systems were used to test the concept. The first system included a programmable 64-channel phased array controller driving a 128-channel, 5–10 MHz linear probe to produce 143 B-Mode projections of the spinning object. The second system designed and manufactured in house, produced 64 or 128 B-Mode projections with a single unfocused 8 MHz transducer scanning with a 0.116 mm step size. Results: The phased array system provided good penetration through the phantoms/mice (with the exception of the lungs) and allowed to acquire data in a very short time. The cross-sectional images have enough resolution and dynamic range to detect both high- and low-contrast organs. The single transducer system takes longer to scan, and the data require more sophisticated processing. To date, our images allow seeing details as small as 1–2 mm in the phantoms and in small animals, with the contrast mostly due to highly reflecting bones and air inclusions. Conclusion: The work indicates that very detailed and anatomically correct images can be created by relatively simple and inexpensive means. With more advanced algorithms and improved system design, scan time can be reduced considerably, enabling high-resolution full 3D imaging. This will allow for quick and easy scans that can help monitor tumor growth and/or regression without contributing any dose to the animal. The authors would like to acknowledge

Manipulating heat shock protein expression in laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tolson, J Keith; Roberts, Stephen M

2005-02-01

Upregulation of heat shock proteins (Hsps) has been observed to impart resistance to a wide variety of physical and chemical insults. Elucidation of the role of Hsps in cellular defense processes depends, in part, on the ability to manipulate Hsp expression in laboratory animals. Simple methods of inducing whole body hyperthermia, such as warm water immersion or heating pad application, are effective in producing generalized expression of Hsps. Hsps can be upregulated locally with focused direct or indirect heating, such as with ultrasound or with laser or microwave radiation. Increased Hsp expression in response to toxic doses of xenobiotics has been commonly observed. Some pharmacologic agents are capable of altering Hsps more specifically by affecting processes involved in Hsp regulation. Gene manipulation offers the ability to selectively increase or decrease individual Hsps. Knockout mouse strains and Hsp-overexpressing transgenics have been used successfully to examine the role of specific Hsps in protection against hyperthermia, chemical insults, and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Gene therapy approaches also offer the possibility of selective alteration of Hsp expression. Some methods of increasing Hsp expression have application in specialized areas of research, such cold response, myocardial protection from exercise, and responses to stressful or traumatic stimuli. Each method of manipulating Hsp expression in laboratory animals has advantages and disadvantages, and selection of the best method depends upon the experimental objectives (e.g., the alteration in Hsp expression needed, its timing, and its location) and resources available.

Strategies for the assessment of competence in laboratory animal science courses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Axel Kornerup; Sørensen, Dorte Bratbo

2014-01-01

Evaluation of skills, knowledge and competencies is an essential part of education in laboratory animal science. In Europe, a greater emphasis will be placed on such evaluations going forward, because the European Union will base its education and training framework on learning outcomes rather than...

COMPARING BEHAVIORAL DOSE-EFFECT CURVES FOR HUMANS AND LABORATORY ANIMALS ACUTELY EXPOSED TO TOLUENE.

Science.gov (United States)

The utility of laboratory animal data in toxicology depends upon the ability to generalize the results quantitatively to humans. To compare the acute behavioral effects of inhaled toluene in humans to those in animals, dose-effect curves were fitted by meta-analysis of published...

[The small pox vaccine: its first century in Brazil (from the Jennerian to the animal vaccine)].

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, T

1999-01-01

Covering a period of roughly hundred years, the article looks at some of the more meaningful events during the period in which the small pox vaccine was institutionalized in Brazil. Discoveries and discussions then taking place in other countries are also examined, particularly as they influenced Brazil. The process is followed from introduction of the human vaccine to the arrival of the animal vaccine and creation of the Municipal Vaccine Institute--a private initative by physician Pedro Affonso Franco, also known as the barao de Pedro Affonso. Adoption of the animal vaccine not only represented progress in controlling the disease but also spurred discussions that saw medical and political groups in Brazil taking sides with either Oswaldo Cruz or the barao de Pedro Affonso. The debate continued within the academic and political arenas until the Vaccine Institute was made part of the Manguinhos laboratories.

Animal proteins in feed : annual report 2009-2010 of the Dutch National Reference Laboratory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Raamsdonk, van L.W.D.; Scholtens-Toma, I.M.J.; Vliege, J.J.M.; Pinckaers, V.G.Z.; Groot, M.J.; Ossenkoppele, J.S.; Ruth, van S.M.

2011-01-01

RIKILT serves as the only official control laboratory for animal proteins in feeds in the Netherlands in the framework of Directive 882/2004/EC. As National Reference Laboratory (NRL), RIKILT participated in 2 annual proficiency tests during the reporting period, in 2 additional interlaboratory

Application of MOSFET detectors for dosimetry in small animal radiography using short exposure times.

Science.gov (United States)

De Lin, Ming; Toncheva, Greta; Nguyen, Giao; Kim, Sangroh; Anderson-Evans, Colin; Johnson, G Allan; Yoshizumi, Terry T

2008-08-01

Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) X-ray imaging for small animals can be used for functional phenotyping given its ability to capture rapid physiological changes at high spatial and temporal resolution. The higher temporal and spatial requirements for small-animal imaging drive the need for short, high-flux X-ray pulses. However, high doses of ionizing radiation can affect the physiology. The purpose of this study was to verify and apply metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology to dosimetry for small-animal diagnostic imaging. A tungsten anode X-ray source was used to expose a tissue-equivalent mouse phantom. Dose measurements were made on the phantom surface and interior. The MOSFETs were verified with thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the MOSFET results agreed with the TLD results (bias, 0.0625). Using typical small animal DSA scan parameters, the dose ranged from 0.7 to 2.2 cGy. Application of the MOSFETs in the small animal environment provided two main benefits: (1) the availability of results in near real-time instead of the hours needed for TLD processes and (2) the ability to support multiple exposures with different X-ray techniques (various of kVp, mA and ms) using the same MOSFET. This MOSFET technology has proven to be a fast, reliable small animal dosimetry method for DSA imaging and is a good system for dose monitoring for serial and gene expression studies.

A Good Death? Report of the Second Newcastle Meeting on Laboratory Animal Euthanasia

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Penny; Prescott, Mark J.; Carbone, Larry; Dennison, Ngaire; Johnson, Craig; Makowska, I. Joanna; Marquardt, Nicole; Readman, Gareth; Weary, Daniel M.; Golledge, Huw D. R.

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Millions of laboratory animals are killed each year worldwide. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding what methods of killing are humane for many species and stages of development. This report summarises research findings and discussions from an international meeting of experts and stakeholders, with recommendations to inform good practice for humane killing of mice, rats and zebrafish. It provides additional guidance and perspectives for researchers designing projects that involve euthanasing animals, researchers studying aspects of humane killing, euthanasia device manufacturers, regulators, and institutional ethics or animal care and use committees that wish to review local practice. Abstract Millions of laboratory animals are killed each year worldwide. There is an ethical, and in many countries also a legal, imperative to ensure those deaths cause minimal suffering. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding what methods of killing are humane for many species and stages of development. In 2013, an international group of researchers and stakeholders met at Newcastle University, United Kingdom to discuss the latest research and which methods could currently be considered most humane for the most commonly used laboratory species (mice, rats and zebrafish). They also discussed factors to consider when making decisions about appropriate techniques for particular species and projects, and priorities for further research. This report summarises the research findings and discussions, with recommendations to help inform good practice for humane killing. PMID:27563926

Precise image-guided irradiation of small animals: a flexible non-profit platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tillner, Falk; Thute, Prasad; Löck, Steffen; Dietrich, Antje; Fursov, Andriy; Haase, Robert; Lukas, Mathias; Krause, Mechthild; Baumann, Michael; Bütof, Rebecca; Enghardt, Wolfgang; Rimarzig, Bernd; Sobiella, Manfred

2016-01-01

Preclinical in vivo studies using small animals are essential to develop new therapeutic options in radiation oncology. Of particular interest are orthotopic tumour models, which better reflect the clinical situation in terms of growth patterns and microenvironmental parameters of the tumour as well as the interplay of tumours with the surrounding normal tissues. Such orthotopic models increase the technical demands and the complexity of preclinical studies as local irradiation with therapeutically relevant doses requires image-guided target localisation and accurate beam application. Moreover, advanced imaging techniques are needed for monitoring treatment outcome. We present a novel small animal image-guided radiation therapy (SAIGRT) system, which allows for precise and accurate, conformal irradiation and x-ray imaging of small animals. High accuracy is achieved by its robust construction, the precise movement of its components and a fast high-resolution flat-panel detector. Field forming and x-ray imaging is accomplished close to the animal resulting in a small penumbra and a high image quality. Feasibility for irradiating orthotopic models has been proven using lung tumour and glioblastoma models in mice. The SAIGRT system provides a flexible, non-profit academic research platform which can be adapted to specific experimental needs and therefore enables systematic preclinical trials in multicentre research networks. (paper)

Euthanasia of Small Animals with Nitrogen; Comparison with Intravenous Pentobarbital

OpenAIRE

Quine, John P.; Buckingham, William; Strunin, Leo

1988-01-01

Intravenous pentobarbital (with or without addition of saturated potassium chloride) was compared with nitrogen gas exposure for euthanasia of small animals (dogs, cats, and rabbits) in a humane society environment. Initially, electrocardiographic) and electroencephalographic monitoring were used to establish the time of death in presedated animals given either pentobarbital or exposed to nitrogen; later, nitrogen euthanasia alone was studied. Sedation with acepromazine delayed the effects of...

In vivo small animal imaging: Current status and future prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kagadis, George C.; Loudos, George; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Langer, Steve G.; Nikiforidis, George C.

2010-01-01

The use of small animal models in basic and preclinical sciences constitutes an integral part of testing new pharmaceutical agents prior to commercial translation to clinical practice. Whole-body small animal imaging is a particularly elegant and cost-effective experimental platform for the timely validation and commercialization of novel agents from the bench to the bedside. Biomedical imaging is now listed along with genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics as an integral part of biological and medical sciences. Miniaturized versions of clinical diagnostic modalities, including but not limited to microcomputed tomography, micromagnetic resonance tomography, microsingle-photon-emission tomography, micropositron-emission tomography, optical imaging, digital angiography, and ultrasound, have all greatly improved our investigative abilities to longitudinally study various experimental models of human disease in mice and rodents. After an exhaustive literature search, the authors present a concise and critical review of in vivo small animal imaging, focusing on currently available modalities as well as emerging imaging technologies on one side and molecularly targeted contrast agents on the other. Aforementioned scientific topics are analyzed in the context of cancer angiogenesis and innovative antiangiogenic strategies under-the-way to the clinic. Proposed hybrid approaches for diagnosis and targeted site-specific therapy are highlighted to offer an intriguing glimpse of the future.

Quantification in dynamic and small-animal positron emission tomography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Disselhorst, Johannes Antonius

2011-01-01

This thesis covers two aspects of positron emission tomography (PET) quantification. The first section addresses the characterization and optimization of a small-animal PET/CT scanner. The sensitivity and resolution as well as various parameters affecting image quality (reconstruction settings, type

Integration of optical imaging with a small animal irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weersink, Robert A.; Ansell, Steve; Wang, An; Wilson, Graham; Shah, Duoaud; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2014-01-01

Purpose: The authors describe the integration of optical imaging with a targeted small animal irradiator device, focusing on design, instrumentation, 2D to 3D image registration, 2D targeting, and the accuracy of recovering and mapping the optical signal to a 3D surface generated from the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. The integration of optical imaging will improve targeting of the radiation treatment and offer longitudinal tracking of tumor response of small animal models treated using the system. Methods: The existing image-guided small animal irradiator consists of a variable kilovolt (peak) x-ray tube mounted opposite an aSi flat panel detector, both mounted on a c-arm gantry. The tube is used for both CBCT imaging and targeted irradiation. The optical component employs a CCD camera perpendicular to the x-ray treatment/imaging axis with a computer controlled filter for spectral decomposition. Multiple optical images can be acquired at any angle as the gantry rotates. The optical to CBCT registration, which uses a standard pinhole camera model, was modeled and tested using phantoms with markers visible in both optical and CBCT images. Optically guided 2D targeting in the anterior/posterior direction was tested on an anthropomorphic mouse phantom with embedded light sources. The accuracy of the mapping of optical signal to the CBCT surface was tested using the same mouse phantom. A surface mesh of the phantom was generated based on the CBCT image and optical intensities projected onto the surface. The measured surface intensity was compared to calculated surface for a point source at the actual source position. The point-source position was also optimized to provide the closest match between measured and calculated intensities, and the distance between the optimized and actual source positions was then calculated. This process was repeated for multiple wavelengths and sources. Results: The optical to CBCT registration error was 0.8 mm. Two

Cryptosporidiosis outbreak at an academic animal research laboratory-Colorado, 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock-Allen, Jessica; Alden, Nisha B; Cronquist, Alicia B

2017-02-01

After cryptosporidiosis was reported in three workers caring for preweaned calves at an academic research laboratory, we sought to identify cases, determine risk factors, and implement control measures. A cryptosporidiosis case was defined as diarrhea duration ≥72 hr, abdominal cramps, or vomiting in an animal research laboratory worker during July 14-July 31. A confirmed case had laboratory evidence of Cryptosporidium infection. Staff were interviewed regarding illness, potential exposures, training, and personal protective equipment (PPE) standard operating procedures (SOPs). The cryptosporidiosis attack rate (AR) was 74% (20/27); five were laboratory-confirmed. Median job training was 2 hr including respiratory-fit testing. No SOPs existed for doffing PPE. AR for workers who removed their gloves first was 84% (16/19) compared with 20% (1/5) for workers who removed gloves last (risk ratio = 4.2; P importance of adequate training, enforced proper PPE procedures, and promoting a culture of safety. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:208-214, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of a SiPM-based PET imaging system for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yanye; Yang, Kun; Zhou, Kedi; Zhang, Qiushi; Pang, Bo; Ren, Qiushi

2014-01-01

Advances in small animal positron emission tomography (PET) imaging have been accelerated by many new technologies such as the successful incorporation of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). In this paper, we have developed a compact, lightweight PET imaging system that is based on SiPM detectors for small animals imaging, which could be integrated into a multi-modality imaging system. This PET imaging system consists of a stationary detector gantry, a motor-controlled animal bed module, electronics modules, and power supply modules. The PET detector, which was designed as a multi-slice circular ring geometry of 27 discrete block detectors, is composed of a cerium doped lutetium–yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillation crystal and SiPM arrays. The system has a 60 mm transaxial field of view (FOV) and a 26 mm axial FOV. Performance tests (e.g. spatial resolution, energy resolution, and sensitivity) and phantom and animal imaging studies were performed to evaluate the imaging performance of the PET imaging system. The performance tests and animal imaging results demonstrate the feasibility of an animal PET system based on SiPM detectors and indicate that SiPM detectors can be promising photodetectors in animal PET instrumentation development

Development of a SiPM-based PET imaging system for small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Yanye [Department of Biomedicine and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Yang, Kun, E-mail: yangkun9999@hotmail.com [Department of Control Technology and Instrumentation, College of Quality and Technical Supervision, Hebei University, Baoding, 071000 (China); Zhou, Kedi; Zhang, Qiushi; Pang, Bo [Department of Biomedicine and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ren, Qiushi, E-mail: renqsh@coe.pku.edu.cn [Department of Biomedicine and Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2014-04-11

Advances in small animal positron emission tomography (PET) imaging have been accelerated by many new technologies such as the successful incorporation of silicon photomultiplier (SiPM). In this paper, we have developed a compact, lightweight PET imaging system that is based on SiPM detectors for small animals imaging, which could be integrated into a multi-modality imaging system. This PET imaging system consists of a stationary detector gantry, a motor-controlled animal bed module, electronics modules, and power supply modules. The PET detector, which was designed as a multi-slice circular ring geometry of 27 discrete block detectors, is composed of a cerium doped lutetium–yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) scintillation crystal and SiPM arrays. The system has a 60 mm transaxial field of view (FOV) and a 26 mm axial FOV. Performance tests (e.g. spatial resolution, energy resolution, and sensitivity) and phantom and animal imaging studies were performed to evaluate the imaging performance of the PET imaging system. The performance tests and animal imaging results demonstrate the feasibility of an animal PET system based on SiPM detectors and indicate that SiPM detectors can be promising photodetectors in animal PET instrumentation development.

Coded Aperture Nuclear Scintigraphy: A Novel Small Animal Imaging Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawid Schellingerhout

2002-10-01

Full Text Available We introduce and demonstrate the utility of coded aperture (CA nuclear scintigraphy for imaging small animals. CA imaging uses multiple pinholes in a carefully designed mask pattern, mounted on a conventional gamma camera. System performance was assessed using point sources and phantoms, while several animal experiments were performed to test the usefulness of the imaging system in vivo, with commonly used radiopharmaceuticals. The sensitivity of the CA system for 99mTc was 4.2 × 103 cps/Bq (9400 cpm/μCi, compared to 4.4 × 104 cps/Bq (990 cpm/μCi for a conventional collimator system. The system resolution was 1.7 mm, as compared to 4–6 mm for the conventional imaging system (using a high-sensitivity low-energy collimator. Animal imaging demonstrated artifact-free imaging with superior resolution and image quality compared to conventional collimator images in several mouse and rat models. We conclude that: (a CA imaging is a useful nuclear imaging technique for small animal imaging. The advantage in signal-to-noise can be traded to achieve higher resolution, decreased dose or reduced imaging time. (b CA imaging works best for images where activity is concentrated in small volumes; a low count outline may be better demonstrated using conventional collimator imaging. Thus, CA imaging should be viewed as a technique to complement rather than replace traditional nuclear imaging methods. (c CA hardware and software can be readily adapted to existing gamma cameras, making their implementation a relatively inexpensive retrofit to most systems.

Use of soft hydrothermal processing to improve and recycle bedding for laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyamoto, T; Li, Z; Kibushi, T; Yamasaki, N; Kasai, N

2008-10-01

Cage bedding for laboratory rodents can influence animal wellbeing and thus the experimental data. In addition, a large amount of used bedding containing excrement is discharged as medical waste from life science institutes and breeding companies. We developed a ground-breaking system to improve fresh bedding and recycle used bedding by applying a soft hydrothermal process with high-temperature and high-pressure dry steam. The system removes both harmful organic components and aromatic hydrocarbons that can affect animals' metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the improved fresh bedding and the recycled used bedding treated by the system. The results showed that 68-99% of the predominant aromatic hydrocarbons were removed from fresh bedding treated at 0.35 MPa and 140 degrees C for 120 min ('improved bedding'). In addition, 59.4-99.0% of predominant harmful organic compounds derived from excrement were removed from used bedding treated at 0.45 MPa and 150 degrees C for 60 min ('recycled bedding'). The soft hydrothermal treatment increased the number of acidic functional groups on the bedding surface and gave it the high adsorptive efficiency of ammonia gas. Harmful substances such as microorganisms, heavy metals and pesticides decreased below the detection limit. The results clearly showed that the improved and recycled bedding is safer for laboratory rodents and has the potential to ameliorate conditions in primary and secondary enclosures (e.g. cages and animal rooms) used for maintaining laboratory animals. This process may be one of the most advanced techniques in providing an alternative to softwood and other bedding, economizing through the recycling of used bedding and reducing bedding waste from animal facilities.

UTIs in small animal patients: part 1: etiology and pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Smee, Nicole; Loyd, Kimberly; Grauer, Greg

2013-01-01

Understanding how urinary tract infections (UTIs) can occur and how to classify them can help the practitioner to make a plan for treatment. This review summarizes the etiology, pathogenesis, and host defense mechanisms associated with bacterial UTIs in dogs and cats. UTIs in Small Animal Patients: Part 2: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications will appear in the March/April 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

Comparison of different methods for ectoparasite infestation detection in Laboratory bred animals and standardization of their health certificate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

mohammad Abdigoudarzi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In order to study external parasites of laboratory reared animals at Razi institute, different methods including brushing of animal's surface body, cellophane tape of body surface, peri-anal cellophane tape test (CTT and skin scrapings and digestive method were applied and collected samples were studied. In addition, field collected rats were tested using brushing method. One mouse had been infested by some mites. Rabbits, rats, mice and guinea pigs had not been infested with external parasites. Field collected rats had been highly infested with mites from the family Laelapidae. The, brushing method was confirmed to be a useful method for mite detection. According to the methods used in this study and these recommended by SOP from international animal breeding centers the CTT method was proposed to be useful for preparing health certificate of laboratory animals at the department of laboratory animal breading at Razi institute.

The University of New Mexico/Sandia National Laboratories small-angle scattering laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieker, T.P.; Hubbard, P.F.

1998-01-01

The University of New Mexico/Sandia National Laboratories small-angle scattering laboratory provides a wide q-range, 3x10 -4 Angstrom -1 -1 , for the structural analysis of materials on length scales from a few angstrom to ∼0.1 μm. The wide q-range is accomplished by combining data from a Bonse-Hart spectrometer (3x10 -4 Angstrom -1 -2 Angstrom -1 ) and a 5 m pinhole (3x10 -3 Angstrom -1 -1 ) instrument. Automation of the data acquisition systems along with a variety of sample environments and sample changers yields flexible, high throughput instruments. copyright 1998 American Institute of Physics

Monte Carlo simulation of small field electron beams for small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chung-Chi; Chen, Ai-Mei; Tung, Chuan-Jong; Chao, Tsi-Chian

2011-01-01

The volume effect of detectors in the dosimetry of small fields for photon beams has been well studied due to interests in radiosurgery and small beamlets used in IMRT treatments; but there is still an unexplored research field for small electron beams used in small animal irradiation. This study proposes to use the BEAM Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to assess characteristics of small electron beams (4, 6, 14, 30 mm in diameter) with the kinetic energies of 6 and 18 MeV. Three factors influencing beam characteristics were studied (1) AE and ECUT settings, (2) photon jaw settings and (3) simulation pixel sizes. Study results reveal that AE/ECUT settings at 0.7 MeV are adequate for linear accelerator treatment head simulation, while 0.521 MeV is more favorable to be used for the phantom study. It is also demonstrated that voxel size setting at 1/4 of the simulation field width in all directions is sufficient to achieve accurate results. As for the photon jaw setting, it has great impact on the absolute output of different field size setting (i.e. output factor) but with minimum effect on the relative lateral distribution.

Small-animal dark-field radiography for pulmonary emphysema evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Yaroshenko, Andre; Meinel, Felix G.; Hellbach, Katharina; Bech, Martin; Velroyen, Astrid; Müller, Mark; Bamberg, Fabian; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Reiser, Maximilian F.; Yildirim, Ali Ã.-.; Eickelberg, Oliver; Pfeiffer, Franz

2014-03-01

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and emphysema is one of its main components. The disorder is characterized by irreversible destruction of the alveolar walls and enlargement of distal airspaces. Despite the severe changes in the lung tissue morphology, conventional chest radiographs have only a limited sensitivity for the detection of mild to moderate emphysema. X-ray dark-field is an imaging modality that can significantly increase the visibility of lung tissue on radiographic images. The dark-field signal is generated by coherent, small-angle scattering of x-rays on the air-tissue interfaces in the lung. Therefore, morphological changes in the lung can be clearly visualized on dark-field images. This is demonstrated by a preclinical study with a small-animal emphysema model. To generate a murine model of pulmonary emphysema, a female C57BL/6N mouse was treated with a single orotracheal application of porcine pancreatic elastase (80 U/kg body weight) dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Control mouse received PBS. The mice were imaged using a small-animal dark-field scanner. While conventional x-ray transmission radiography images revealed only subtle indirect signs of the pulmonary disorder, the difference between healthy and emphysematous lungs could be clearly directly visualized on the dark-field images. The dose applied to the animals is compatible with longitudinal studies. The imaging results correlate well with histology. The results of this study reveal the high potential of dark-field radiography for clinical lung imaging.

Performance evaluation of a mouse-sized camera for dynamic studies in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George; Majewski, Stan; Wojcik, Randy; Weisenberger, Andrew; Sakellios, Nicolas; Nikita, Konstantina; Uzunoglu, Nikolaos; Bouziotis, Penelope; Varvarigou, Alexandra

2007-01-01

A mouse sized camera has been built in terms of collaboration between the presenting institutions. The system is used for the performance of dynamic studies in small animals, in order to evaluate novel radiopharmaceuticals. The active area of the detector is approximately 48x96 mm allowing depiction of the entire mouse in a single view. The system is based on two flat-panel Hamamatsu H8500 position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMT), a pixellated NaI(Tl) scintillator and a copper-beryllium (CuBe) parallel-hole collimator. In this work, the evaluation results of the system are presented, using phantoms and small animals injected with conventional radiophrmaceuticals. Average resolution was ∼1.6 mm on the collimator surface and increased to ∼4.1 mm in 12 cm distance from the detector. The average energy resolution was measured and found to be ∼15.6% for Tc 99m . Results from imaging thin capillaries demonstrated system's high resolution and sensitivity in activity variations was shown. Initial dynamic studies have been carried out in small animals injected with Tc 99m -DTPA and Tc 99m -MDP. The results show system's ability to perform kinetic imaging in small animals

A Tool for Assessment of Animal Health Laboratory Safety and Biosecurity: The Safety Module of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Laboratory Mapping Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrice Mouillé

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Laboratory Management Tool (LMT is a standardized spreadsheet-based assessment tool developed to help support national, regional, and global efforts to maintain an effective network of animal health and veterinary public health laboratories. The safety and biosecurity module of the LMT (LMT-S includes 98 measures covering administrative, operational, engineering, and personal protective equipment practices used to provide laboratory safety and biosecurity. Performance aspects of laboratory infrastructure and technical compliance considered fundamental for ensuring that a laboratory is able to appropriately function in a safe and biosecure manner are systematically queried and scored for compliance on a four-point scale providing for a semi-quantitative assessment. Data collected is used to generate graphs and tables mapping levels of compliance with international standards and good practices, as well as for documenting progress over time. The LMT-S was employed by trained auditors in 34 laboratories located in 19 countries between 2015 and 2017. The tool is intended to help standardize animal health laboratory assessments, document compliance with recognized laboratory safety and biosecurity measures, serve as a self-help and training tool, and assist global laboratory development efforts by providing an accurate measurement of laboratory safety and biosecurity at local, national, and regional levels.

Development of Optical Molecular Imaging System for the Acquisition of Bioluminescence Signals from Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byeong Il; Kim, Hyeon Sik; Jeong, Hye Jin; Lee, Hyung Jae; Moon, Seung Min; Kwon, Seung Young; Jeong, Shin Young; Bom, Hee Seung; Min, Jung Joon; Choi, Eun Seo

2009-01-01

Optical imaging is providing great advance and improvement in genetic and molecular imaging of animals and humans. Optical imaging system consists of optical imaging devices, which carry out major function for monitoring, tracing, and imaging in most of molecular in-vivo researches. In bio-luminescent imaging, small animals containing luciferase gene locally irradiate light, and emitted photons transmitted through skin of the small animals are imaged by using a high sensitive charged coupled device (CCD) camera. In this paper, we introduced optical imaging system for the image acquisition of bio-luminescent signals emitted from small animals. In the system, Nikon lens and four LED light sources were mounted at the inside of a dark box. A cooled CCD camera equipped with a control module was used. We tested the performance of the optical imaging system using effendorf tube and light emitting bacteria which injected intravenously into CT26 tumor bearing nude mouse. The performance of implemented optical imaging system for bio-luminescence imaging was demonstrated and the feasibility of the system in small animal imaging application was proved. We anticipate this system could be a useful tool for the molecular imaging of small animals adaptable for various experimental conditions in future

Laboratory studies of imitation/field studies of tradition: towards a synthesis in animal social learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Galef, Bennett G

2015-03-01

Here I discuss: (1) historical precedents that have resulted in comparative psychologists accepting the two-action method as the "gold standard" in laboratory investigations of imitation learning, (2) evidence suggesting that the two-action procedure may not be adequate to answer questions concerning the role of imitation in the development of traditional behaviors of animals living in natural habitat, and (3) an alternative approach to the laboratory study of imitation that might increase the relevance of laboratory studies of imitation to the work of behavioral ecologists/primatologists interested in animal traditions and their relationship to human cumulative culture. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Tribute to Tom Zentall. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Open-Source Medical Devices (OSMD) Design of a Small Animal Radiotherapy System

Science.gov (United States)

Prajapati, S.; Mackie, T. R.; Jeraj, R.

2014-03-01

Open-Source Medical Devices (OSMD) was initiated with the goal of facilitating medical research by developing medical technologies including both hardware and software on an open-source platform. Our first project was to develop an integrated imaging and radiotherapy device for small animals that includes computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and radiation therapy (RT) modalities for which technical specifications were defined in the first OSMD conference held in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in December 2011. This paper specifically focuses on the development of a small animal RT (micro-RT) system by designing a binary micro multileaf collimator (bmMLC) and a small animal treatment planning system (SATPS) to enable intensity modulated RT (IMRT). Both hardware and software projects are currently under development and their current progresses are described. After the development, both bmMLC and TPS will be validated and commissioned for a micro-RT system. Both hardware design and software development will be open-sourced after completion.

An overview of the roles and structure of international high-security veterinary laboratories for infectious animal diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, P K

1998-08-01

The unique structure, role and operations of government high-security (HS) laboratories which work on animal diseases are described, with particular reference to the laboratories of nine countries. High-security laboratories provide cost-effective insurance against catastrophic losses which could occur following exotic disease outbreaks. The importance of these laboratories is reflected in the fact that several new laboratories have recently been constructed at considerable expense and older facilities have undergone major renovations. Biosecurity is fundamental to the operation of high-security laboratories, so good facility design and microbiological security practices are very important. High-security laboratories conduct exotic disease diagnosis, certification and surveillance, and also perform research into virology, disease pathogenesis and improvements to diagnostic tests and vaccines. The mandate of these laboratories includes the training of veterinarians in the recognition of exotic diseases. One extremely important role is the provision of expert advice on exotic diseases and participation (both nationally and internationally) in policy decisions regarding animal disease issues.

Laboratory training manual on the use of nuclear techniques in animal research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The manual is designed to give the animal science researcher the basic terms and principles necessary for understanding radiation, its detection and measurement, its associated hazards, and some of the more common applications. Basic laboratory exercises to illustrate this purpose are included

Developing a Collaborative Agenda for Humanities and Social Scientific Research on Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Gail F; Greenhough, Beth J; Hobson-West, Pru; Kirk, Robert G W; Applebee, Ken; Bellingan, Laura C; Berdoy, Manuel; Buller, Henry; Cassaday, Helen J; Davies, Keith; Diefenbacher, Daniela; Druglitrø, Tone; Escobar, Maria Paula; Friese, Carrie; Herrmann, Kathrin; Hinterberger, Amy; Jarrett, Wendy J; Jayne, Kimberley; Johnson, Adam M; Johnson, Elizabeth R; Konold, Timm; Leach, Matthew C; Leonelli, Sabina; Lewis, David I; Lilley, Elliot J; Longridge, Emma R; McLeod, Carmen M; Miele, Mara; Nelson, Nicole C; Ormandy, Elisabeth H; Pallett, Helen; Poort, Lonneke; Pound, Pandora; Ramsden, Edmund; Roe, Emma; Scalway, Helen; Schrader, Astrid; Scotton, Chris J; Scudamore, Cheryl L; Smith, Jane A; Whitfield, Lucy; Wolfensohn, Sarah

2016-01-01

Improving laboratory animal science and welfare requires both new scientific research and insights from research in the humanities and social sciences. Whilst scientific research provides evidence to replace, reduce and refine procedures involving laboratory animals (the '3Rs'), work in the humanities and social sciences can help understand the social, economic and cultural processes that enhance or impede humane ways of knowing and working with laboratory animals. However, communication across these disciplinary perspectives is currently limited, and they design research programmes, generate results, engage users, and seek to influence policy in different ways. To facilitate dialogue and future research at this interface, we convened an interdisciplinary group of 45 life scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars, non-governmental organisations and policy-makers to generate a collaborative research agenda. This drew on methods employed by other agenda-setting exercises in science policy, using a collaborative and deliberative approach for the identification of research priorities. Participants were recruited from across the community, invited to submit research questions and vote on their priorities. They then met at an interactive workshop in the UK, discussed all 136 questions submitted, and collectively defined the 30 most important issues for the group. The output is a collaborative future agenda for research in the humanities and social sciences on laboratory animal science and welfare. The questions indicate a demand for new research in the humanities and social sciences to inform emerging discussions and priorities on the governance and practice of laboratory animal research, including on issues around: international harmonisation, openness and public engagement, 'cultures of care', harm-benefit analysis and the future of the 3Rs. The process outlined below underlines the value of interdisciplinary exchange for improving communication across

Developing a Collaborative Agenda for Humanities and Social Scientific Research on Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Gail F.; Greenhough, Beth J; Hobson-West, Pru; Kirk, Robert G. W.; Applebee, Ken; Bellingan, Laura C.; Berdoy, Manuel; Buller, Henry; Cassaday, Helen J.; Davies, Keith; Diefenbacher, Daniela; Druglitrø, Tone; Escobar, Maria Paula; Friese, Carrie; Herrmann, Kathrin; Hinterberger, Amy; Jarrett, Wendy J.; Jayne, Kimberley; Johnson, Adam M.; Johnson, Elizabeth R.; Konold, Timm; Leach, Matthew C.; Leonelli, Sabina; Lewis, David I.; Lilley, Elliot J.; Longridge, Emma R.; McLeod, Carmen M.; Miele, Mara; Nelson, Nicole C.; Ormandy, Elisabeth H.; Pallett, Helen; Poort, Lonneke; Pound, Pandora; Ramsden, Edmund; Roe, Emma; Scalway, Helen; Schrader, Astrid; Scotton, Chris J.; Scudamore, Cheryl L.; Smith, Jane A.; Whitfield, Lucy; Wolfensohn, Sarah

2016-01-01

Improving laboratory animal science and welfare requires both new scientific research and insights from research in the humanities and social sciences. Whilst scientific research provides evidence to replace, reduce and refine procedures involving laboratory animals (the ‘3Rs’), work in the humanities and social sciences can help understand the social, economic and cultural processes that enhance or impede humane ways of knowing and working with laboratory animals. However, communication across these disciplinary perspectives is currently limited, and they design research programmes, generate results, engage users, and seek to influence policy in different ways. To facilitate dialogue and future research at this interface, we convened an interdisciplinary group of 45 life scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars, non-governmental organisations and policy-makers to generate a collaborative research agenda. This drew on methods employed by other agenda-setting exercises in science policy, using a collaborative and deliberative approach for the identification of research priorities. Participants were recruited from across the community, invited to submit research questions and vote on their priorities. They then met at an interactive workshop in the UK, discussed all 136 questions submitted, and collectively defined the 30 most important issues for the group. The output is a collaborative future agenda for research in the humanities and social sciences on laboratory animal science and welfare. The questions indicate a demand for new research in the humanities and social sciences to inform emerging discussions and priorities on the governance and practice of laboratory animal research, including on issues around: international harmonisation, openness and public engagement, ‘cultures of care’, harm-benefit analysis and the future of the 3Rs. The process outlined below underlines the value of interdisciplinary exchange for improving communication across

Developing a Collaborative Agenda for Humanities and Social Scientific Research on Laboratory Animal Science and Welfare.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gail F Davies

Full Text Available Improving laboratory animal science and welfare requires both new scientific research and insights from research in the humanities and social sciences. Whilst scientific research provides evidence to replace, reduce and refine procedures involving laboratory animals (the '3Rs', work in the humanities and social sciences can help understand the social, economic and cultural processes that enhance or impede humane ways of knowing and working with laboratory animals. However, communication across these disciplinary perspectives is currently limited, and they design research programmes, generate results, engage users, and seek to influence policy in different ways. To facilitate dialogue and future research at this interface, we convened an interdisciplinary group of 45 life scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars, non-governmental organisations and policy-makers to generate a collaborative research agenda. This drew on methods employed by other agenda-setting exercises in science policy, using a collaborative and deliberative approach for the identification of research priorities. Participants were recruited from across the community, invited to submit research questions and vote on their priorities. They then met at an interactive workshop in the UK, discussed all 136 questions submitted, and collectively defined the 30 most important issues for the group. The output is a collaborative future agenda for research in the humanities and social sciences on laboratory animal science and welfare. The questions indicate a demand for new research in the humanities and social sciences to inform emerging discussions and priorities on the governance and practice of laboratory animal research, including on issues around: international harmonisation, openness and public engagement, 'cultures of care', harm-benefit analysis and the future of the 3Rs. The process outlined below underlines the value of interdisciplinary exchange for improving

[Application of paramunity inducers in small animal practice].

Science.gov (United States)

Proksch, A L; Hartmann, K

2016-01-01

Paramunity inducers have been used to treat small animals for decades. Paramunity inducers are based on attenuated and inactivated poxviruses (avipox virus and parapox virus). Their applications include both therapeutic and prophylactic use in various diseases. Despite their wide and variable use, only a very small number of placebo-controlled studies has been published. Positive effects in preventing kitten mortality and in treating feline stomatitis have been reported, however, no statistically significant effect of their therapeutic use in canine parvovirus infection, feline leukemia infection virus infection or canine papillomavirus infection could be demonstrated. For these infectious diseases, paramunity inducers do not appear to be effective.

Carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in small animal veterinarians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paul, Narayan Chandra; Moodley, Arshnee; Ghibaudo, G.

2011-01-01

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is increasingly reported in small animals and cases of human infections have already been described despite its recent emergence in veterinary practice. We investigated the prevalence of MRSP and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus...... aureus (MRSA) among small animal dermatologists attending a national veterinary conference in Italy. Nasal swabs were obtained from 128 veterinarians, seven of which harboured MRSP (n = 5; 3.9%) or MRSA (n = 2; 1.6%). A follow-up study of two carriers revealed that MRSP persisted for at least 1 month...... by spa typing. Methicillin-resistant isolates were further typed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, SCCmec and multi-locus sequence typing. Two lineages previously associated with pets were identified among the five MRSP isolates; the European epidemic clone ST71-SCCmec II-III and ST106-SCCmec IV...

Laboratory containment practices for arthropod vectors of human and animal pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabachnick, Walter J

2006-03-01

Arthropod-borne pathogens have an impact on the health and well-being of humans and animals throughout the world. Research involving arthropod vectors of disease is often dependent on the ability to maintain the specific arthropod species in laboratory colonies. The author reviews current arthropod containment practices and discusses their importance from public health and ecological perspectives.

Multi-institutional MicroCT image comparison of image-guided small animal irradiators

Science.gov (United States)

Johnstone, Chris D.; Lindsay, Patricia; E Graves, Edward; Wong, Eugene; Perez, Jessica R.; Poirier, Yannick; Ben-Bouchta, Youssef; Kanesalingam, Thilakshan; Chen, Haijian; E Rubinstein, Ashley; Sheng, Ke; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena

2017-07-01

To recommend imaging protocols and establish tolerance levels for microCT image quality assurance (QA) performed on conformal image-guided small animal irradiators. A fully automated QA software SAPA (small animal phantom analyzer) for image analysis of the commercial Shelley micro-CT MCTP 610 phantom was developed, in which quantitative analyses of CT number linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, spatial resolution by means of modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT contrast were performed. Phantom microCT scans from eleven institutions acquired with four image-guided small animal irradiator units (including the commercial PXi X-RAD SmART and Xstrahl SARRP systems) with varying parameters used for routine small animal imaging were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using SAPA, based on which tolerance levels for each QA test were established and imaging protocols for QA were recommended. By analyzing microCT data from 11 institutions, we established image QA tolerance levels for all image quality tests. CT number linearity set to R 2  >  0.990 was acceptable in microCT data acquired at all but three institutions. Acceptable SNR  >  36 and noise levels  1.5 lp mm-1 for MTF  =  0.2) was obtained at all but four institutions due to their large image voxel size used (>0.275 mm). Ten of the eleven institutions passed the set QA tolerance for geometric accuracy (2000 HU for 30 mgI ml-1). We recommend performing imaging QA with 70 kVp, 1.5 mA, 120 s imaging time, 0.20 mm voxel size, and a frame rate of 5 fps for the PXi X-RAD SmART. For the Xstrahl SARRP, we recommend using 60 kVp, 1.0 mA, 240 s imaging time, 0.20 mm voxel size, and 6 fps. These imaging protocols should result in high quality images that pass the set tolerance levels on all systems. Average SAPA computation time for complete QA analysis for a 0.20 mm voxel, 400 slice Shelley phantom microCT data set

Reducing the number of laboratory animals used in tissue engineering research by restricting the variety of animal models. Articular cartilage tissue engineering as a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vries, R.B.M. de; Buma, P.; Leenaars, M.; Ritskes-Hoitinga, M.; Gordijn, B.

2012-01-01

The use of laboratory animals in tissue engineering research is an important underexposed ethical issue. Several ethical questions may be raised about this use of animals. This article focuses on the possibilities of reducing the number of animals used. Given that there is considerable debate about

Computer-aided pulmonary image analysis in small animal models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Ziyue; Mansoor, Awais; Mollura, Daniel J. [Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 32892 (United States); Bagci, Ulas, E-mail: ulasbagci@gmail.com [Center for Research in Computer Vision (CRCV), University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, Florida 32816 (United States); Kramer-Marek, Gabriela [The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW7 3RP (United Kingdom); Luna, Brian [Microfluidic Laboratory Automation, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-2715 (United States); Kubler, Andre [Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Dey, Bappaditya; Jain, Sanjay [Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 (United States); Foster, Brent [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis, Davis, California 95817 (United States); Papadakis, Georgios Z. [Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland 32892 (United States); Camp, Jeremy V. [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (United States); Jonsson, Colleen B. [National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States); Bishai, William R. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815 and Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231 (United States); Udupa, Jayaram K. [Medical Image Processing Group, Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

2015-07-15

Purpose: To develop an automated pulmonary image analysis framework for infectious lung diseases in small animal models. Methods: The authors describe a novel pathological lung and airway segmentation method for small animals. The proposed framework includes identification of abnormal imaging patterns pertaining to infectious lung diseases. First, the authors’ system estimates an expected lung volume by utilizing a regression function between total lung capacity and approximated rib cage volume. A significant difference between the expected lung volume and the initial lung segmentation indicates the presence of severe pathology, and invokes a machine learning based abnormal imaging pattern detection system next. The final stage of the proposed framework is the automatic extraction of airway tree for which new affinity relationships within the fuzzy connectedness image segmentation framework are proposed by combining Hessian and gray-scale morphological reconstruction filters. Results: 133 CT scans were collected from four different studies encompassing a wide spectrum of pulmonary abnormalities pertaining to two commonly used small animal models (ferret and rabbit). Sensitivity and specificity were greater than 90% for pathological lung segmentation (average dice similarity coefficient > 0.9). While qualitative visual assessments of airway tree extraction were performed by the participating expert radiologists, for quantitative evaluation the authors validated the proposed airway extraction method by using publicly available EXACT’09 data set. Conclusions: The authors developed a comprehensive computer-aided pulmonary image analysis framework for preclinical research applications. The proposed framework consists of automatic pathological lung segmentation and accurate airway tree extraction. The framework has high sensitivity and specificity; therefore, it can contribute advances in preclinical research in pulmonary diseases.

Small-Animal Imaging Using Diffuse Fluorescence Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Scott C; Tichauer, Kenneth M

2016-01-01

Diffuse fluorescence tomography (DFT) has been developed to image the spatial distribution of fluorescence-tagged tracers in living tissue. This capability facilitates the recovery of any number of functional parameters, including enzymatic activity, receptor density, blood flow, and gene expression. However, deploying DFT effectively is complex and often requires years of know-how, especially for newer mutlimodal systems that combine DFT with conventional imaging systems. In this chapter, we step through the process of using MRI-DFT imaging of a receptor-targeted tracer in small animals.

Comparison SPECT-CT with PET-CT in several applications of small-animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Yifan; Song Shaoli; Huang Gang

2009-01-01

With the development of medical science, monitoring dynamic biologic processes in small-animal models of diseases has become one of the most important approaches in medical studies. Important physiologic parameters that traditionally have been characterized by nuclear medicine imaging include blood flow, biochemical metabolism, and cellular receptors. Recently, nuclear medicine has been greatly facilitated by the newer development of dual-modality integrated imaging systems (SPECT-CT and PET-CT), which provide functional and anatomical images in the same scanning session, with the acquired images co-registered by means of the hardware. The purpose of this review is to compare SPECT-CT with PET-CT in several applications of small-animal models. Conclusicn: PET-CT for small animal modes in nledical research in the applications has great advantages, but SPECT-CT is still a very important role, and research low cost. (authors)

[Method of immunocytochemical demonstration of cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system of laboratory animals].

Science.gov (United States)

Korzhevskiĭ, D E; Grigor'ev, I P; Kirik, O V; Zelenkova, N M; Sukhorukova, E G

2013-01-01

A protocol of immunocytochemical demonstration of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), a key enzyme of acetylcholine synthesis, in paraffin sections of the brain of some laboratory animals, is presented. The method is simple, gives fairly reproducible results and allows for demonstration of ChAT in neurons, nerve fibers, and terminals in preparations of at least three species of laboratory animals including rat, rabbit, and cat. Different kinds of fixation (10% formalin, 4% paraformaldehyde, or zinc-ethanol-formaldehyde) were found suitable for immunocytochemical visualization of ChAT, however, optimal results were obtained with the application of zinc-ethanol-formaldehyde

Laboratory training manual on the use of nuclear techniques in animal parasitology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

The Manual is designed for specialist training in the use of nuclear techniques in animal parasitology. The theoretical part contains a general introduction to experimental work in this field. Laboratory exercises are divided into Basic Exercises (17) and Applied Exercises (25) oriented to research in the immunology and pathogenesis of host-parasite interactions using radioisotopic methods and to disease management through the use of radiation-attenuated vaccines. The closing part contains a number of practical guidelines and data for work with radioisotopes in general and for the use of radioisotopic methods in animal parasitology

Laboratory and Field Investigations of Small Crater Repair Technologies

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Priddy, Lucy P; Tingle, Jeb S; McCaffrey, Timothy J; Rollings, Ray S

2007-01-01

.... This airfield damage repair (ADR) investigation consisted of laboratory testing of selected crater fill and capping materials, as well as full-scale field testing of small crater repairs to evaluate field mixing methods, installation...

Prototype design of singles processing unit for the small animal PET

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, P.; Zhao, L.; Lu, J.; Li, B.; Dong, R.; Liu, S.; An, Q.

2018-05-01

Position Emission Tomography (PET) is an advanced clinical diagnostic imaging technique for nuclear medicine. Small animal PET is increasingly used for studying the animal model of disease, new drugs and new therapies. A prototype of Singles Processing Unit (SPU) for a small animal PET system was designed to obtain the time, energy, and position information. The energy and position is actually calculated through high precison charge measurement, which is based on amplification, shaping, A/D conversion and area calculation in digital signal processing domian. Analysis and simulations were also conducted to optimize the key parameters in system design. Initial tests indicate that the charge and time precision is better than 3‰ FWHM and 350 ps FWHM respectively, while the position resolution is better than 3.5‰ FWHM. Commination tests of the SPU prototype with the PET detector indicate that the system time precision is better than 2.5 ns, while the flood map and energy spectra concored well with the expected.

Blended learning in the small animal clinic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langebæk, Rikke

2011-01-01

At the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Basic Surgical Skills are taught in groups of 30-35 students in the first year of the master program (4th year students). The eight day course is an example of ‘blended learning’ in which students use our e-learning-material (Step 1) to prepare...... for the practical part of the course (Step 2, 3 and 4). From their home computers, students log on to the e-learning platform of Copenhagen University: https://absalon.ku.dk and go to the Basic Surgical Skills course, which consist of a line of chapters concerning a variety of surgical subjects. Each subject...... the implementation of these new teaching methods (e-learning and Skills Lab), teachers have ascertained a more satisfactory level of preparation, students that seem more focused and live-animal surgery that is conducted at a more ‘professional’ level than before. Finally, our research in this field shows...

Current concepts in oncologic surgery in small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Matz, Brad M

2015-05-01

Surgical oncology is experiencing rapid transition in veterinary medicine. Mast cell tumors and soft tissue sarcomas are two of the most common neoplasms in small animal patients. Clinicians should be familiar with the need for staging and the procedures involved in treating patients with these tumors. Clinicians should be comfortable with available adjuvant therapies and when to use them in certain patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-time bladder volume monitoring by the application of a new implantable bladder volume sensor for a small animal model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Sup Lee

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Although real-time monitoring of bladder volume together with intravesical pressure can provide more information for understanding the functional changes of the urinary bladder, it still entails difficulties in the accurate prediction of real-time bladder volume in urodynamic studies with small animal models. We studied a new implantable bladder volume monitoring device with eight rats. During cystometry, microelectrodes prepared by the microelectromechanical systems process were placed symmetrically on both lateral walls of the bladder, and the expanded bladder volume was calculated. Immunohistological study was done after 1 week and after 4 weeks to evaluate the biocompatibility of the microelectrode. From the point that infused saline volume into the bladder was higher than 0.6 mL, estimated bladder volume was statistically correlated with the volume of saline injected (p<0.01. Additionally, the microelectromechanical system microelectrodes used in this study showed reliable biocompatibility. Therefore, the device can be used to evaluate changes in bladder volume in studies with small animals, and it may help to provide more information about functional changes in the bladder in laboratory studies. Furthermore, owing to its biocompatibility, the device could be chronically implanted in conscious ambulating animals, thus allowing a novel longitudinal study to be performed for a specific purpose.

Development of computational small animal models and their applications in preclinical imaging and therapy research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Xie, Tianwu; Zaidi, Habib

The development of multimodality preclinical imaging techniques and the rapid growth of realistic computer simulation tools have promoted the construction and application of computational laboratory animal models in preclinical research. Since the early 1990s, over 120 realistic computational animal

Scalable Electrophysiology in Intact Small Animals with Nanoscale Suspended Electrode Arrays

OpenAIRE

Gonzales, Daniel L.; Badhiwala, Krishna N.; Vercosa, Daniel G.; Avants, Ben W.; Liu, Zheng; Zhong, Weiwei; Robinson, Jacob T.

2017-01-01

Electrical measurements from large populations of animals would help reveal fundamental properties of the nervous system and neurological diseases. Small invertebrates are ideal for these large-scale studies; however, patch-clamp electrophysiology in microscopic animals typically requires low-throughput and invasive dissections. To overcome these limitations, we present nano-SPEARs: suspended electrodes integrated into a scalable microfluidic device. Using this technology, we have made the fi...

Small intestinal motility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smout, André J. P. M.

2004-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In the past year, many studies were published in which new and relevant information on small intestinal motility in humans and laboratory animals was obtained. RECENT FINDINGS: Although the reported findings are heterogeneous, some themes appear to be particularly interesting and

Employee motivation in laboratory animal science: creating the conditions for a happy and productive staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Chick, John F

2006-01-01

High rates of employee turnover are the source of a considerable loss of time and resources, but managers are not always aware of the reasons that motivate employees to stay in their positions. The author compares prominent theories of employee motivation and then puts them to the test by surveying 82 cagewashers, animal caretakers, animal technicians, and supervisors working in a laboratory animal facility to determine the job characteristics that motivate them.

Pain and Laboratory Animals: Publication Practices for Better Data Reproducibility and Better Animal Welfare.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larry Carbone

Full Text Available Scientists who perform major survival surgery on laboratory animals face a dual welfare and methodological challenge: how to choose surgical anesthetics and post-operative analgesics that will best control animal suffering, knowing that both pain and the drugs that manage pain can all affect research outcomes. Scientists who publish full descriptions of animal procedures allow critical and systematic reviews of data, demonstrate their adherence to animal welfare norms, and guide other scientists on how to conduct their own studies in the field. We investigated what information on animal pain management a reasonably diligent scientist might find in planning for a successful experiment. To explore how scientists in a range of fields describe their management of this ethical and methodological concern, we scored 400 scientific articles that included major animal survival surgeries as part of their experimental methods, for the completeness of information on anesthesia and analgesia. The 400 articles (250 accepted for publication pre-2011, and 150 in 2014-15, along with 174 articles they reference included thoracotomies, craniotomies, gonadectomies, organ transplants, peripheral nerve injuries, spinal laminectomies and orthopedic procedures in dogs, primates, swine, mice, rats and other rodents. We scored articles for Publication Completeness (PC, which was any mention of use of anesthetics or analgesics; Analgesia Use (AU which was any use of post-surgical analgesics, and Analgesia Completeness (a composite score comprising intra-operative analgesia, extended post-surgical analgesia, and use of multimodal analgesia. 338 of 400 articles were PC. 98 of these 338 were AU, with some mention of analgesia, while 240 of 338 mentioned anesthesia only but not post-surgical analgesia. Journals' caliber, as measured by their 2013 Impact Factor, had no effect on PC or AU. We found no effect of whether a journal instructs authors to consult the ARRIVE

Pain and Laboratory Animals: Publication Practices for Better Data Reproducibility and Better Animal Welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbone, Larry; Austin, Jamie

2016-01-01

Scientists who perform major survival surgery on laboratory animals face a dual welfare and methodological challenge: how to choose surgical anesthetics and post-operative analgesics that will best control animal suffering, knowing that both pain and the drugs that manage pain can all affect research outcomes. Scientists who publish full descriptions of animal procedures allow critical and systematic reviews of data, demonstrate their adherence to animal welfare norms, and guide other scientists on how to conduct their own studies in the field. We investigated what information on animal pain management a reasonably diligent scientist might find in planning for a successful experiment. To explore how scientists in a range of fields describe their management of this ethical and methodological concern, we scored 400 scientific articles that included major animal survival surgeries as part of their experimental methods, for the completeness of information on anesthesia and analgesia. The 400 articles (250 accepted for publication pre-2011, and 150 in 2014-15, along with 174 articles they reference) included thoracotomies, craniotomies, gonadectomies, organ transplants, peripheral nerve injuries, spinal laminectomies and orthopedic procedures in dogs, primates, swine, mice, rats and other rodents. We scored articles for Publication Completeness (PC), which was any mention of use of anesthetics or analgesics; Analgesia Use (AU) which was any use of post-surgical analgesics, and Analgesia Completeness (a composite score comprising intra-operative analgesia, extended post-surgical analgesia, and use of multimodal analgesia). 338 of 400 articles were PC. 98 of these 338 were AU, with some mention of analgesia, while 240 of 338 mentioned anesthesia only but not post-surgical analgesia. Journals' caliber, as measured by their 2013 Impact Factor, had no effect on PC or AU. We found no effect of whether a journal instructs authors to consult the ARRIVE publishing guidelines

Crisis management and recovery from the damage to the laboratory animal production facility due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Takuya

2012-01-01

Charles River Laboratories Japan produces laboratory animals, mainly mice and rats. In its history, we have experienced many crises such as mass food poisoning of staff and contamination of animals. However, we overcame these crises, accomplishing our corporate missions to secure steady supply of healthy animals. Under such circumstances, in 2008, we faced an unprecedented crisis involving a novel influenza possibly becoming pandemic. Therefore, we prepared a Crisis Management Plan (CMP) and Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to avoid the worst case scenario. Fortunately, the novel influenza did not develop into a pandemic and no major problems occurred in production of our laboratory animals. In March 2011, our Tsukuba Breeding Center was struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Many cages fell from racks, and consequently, 14,000 mice and rats were euthanized. Moreover, this animal production facility experienced not only blackouts and water outage but also various maintenance problems. After triage of the animals, almost half of the animals kept were eventually lost. However, we recovered and resumed shipment of animals two weeks after the disaster by utilizing the CMP and BCP we initially created as a countermeasure against novel influenza. After two months, our production volume returned to normal except for two strains. I sincerely hope this review, which highlights our experience and related issues, will be a useful resource in regard to crisis management for people who are engaged in laboratory animal care and use.

A tool for assessment of animal health laboratory safety and biosecurity: The safety module of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s laboratory mapping tool

OpenAIRE

Mouillé, B; Dauphin, G; Wiersma, L; Blacksell, SD; Claes, F; Kalpravidh, W; Kabore, Y; Hietala, S

2018-01-01

The Laboratory Management Tool (LMT) is a standardized spreadsheet-based assessment tool developed to help support national, regional, and global efforts to maintain an effective network of animal health and veterinary public health laboratories. The safety and biosecurity module of the LMT (LMT-S) includes 98 measures covering administrative, operational, engineering, and personal protective equipment practices used to provide laboratory safety and biosecurity. Performance aspects of laborat...

The motivations and methodology for high-throughput PET imaging of small animals in cancer research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aide, Nicolas [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Nuclear Medicine Department, Caen Cedex (France); Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Visser, Eric P. [Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nuclear Medicine Department, Nijmegen (Netherlands); Lheureux, Stephanie [Caen University, BioTICLA team, EA 4656, IFR 146, Caen (France); Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Heutte, Natacha [Francois Baclesse Cancer Centre, Clinical Research Unit, Caen (France); Szanda, Istvan [King' s College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London (United Kingdom); Hicks, Rodney J. [Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Centre for Molecular Imaging, East Melbourne (Australia)

2012-09-15

Over the last decade, small-animal PET imaging has become a vital platform technology in cancer research. With the development of molecularly targeted therapies and drug combinations requiring evaluation of different schedules, the number of animals to be imaged within a PET experiment has increased. This paper describes experimental design requirements to reach statistical significance, based on the expected change in tracer uptake in treated animals as compared to the control group, the number of groups that will be imaged, and the expected intra-animal variability for a given tracer. We also review how high-throughput studies can be performed in dedicated small-animal PET, high-resolution clinical PET systems and planar positron imaging systems by imaging more than one animal simultaneously. Customized beds designed to image more than one animal in large-bore small-animal PET scanners are described. Physics issues related to the presence of several rodents within the field of view (i.e. deterioration of spatial resolution and sensitivity as the radial and the axial offsets increase, respectively, as well as a larger effect of attenuation and the number of scatter events), which can be assessed by using the NEMA NU 4 image quality phantom, are detailed. (orig.)

Turbulent dispersivity under conditions relevant to airborne disease transmission between laboratory animals

Science.gov (United States)

Halloran, Siobhan; Ristenpart, William

2013-11-01

Virologists and other researchers who test pathogens for airborne disease transmissibility often place a test animal downstream from an inoculated animal and later determine whether the test animal became infected. Despite the crucial role of the airflow in pathogen transmission between the animals, to date the infectious disease community has paid little attention to the effect of airspeed or turbulent intensity on the probability of transmission. Here we present measurements of the turbulent dispersivity under conditions relevant to experimental tests of airborne disease transmissibility between laboratory animals. We used time lapse photography to visualize the downstream transport and turbulent dispersion of smoke particulates released from a point source downstream of an axial fan, thus mimicking the release and transport of expiratory aerosols exhaled by an inoculated animal. We show that for fan-generated turbulence the plume width is invariant with the mean airspeed and, close to the point source, increases linearly with downstream position. Importantly, the turbulent dispersivity is insensitive to the presence of meshes placed downstream from the point source, indicating that the fan length scale dictates the turbulent intensity and corresponding dispersivity.

76 FR 74803 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Adoption and Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the Guide for the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Laboratory Animal Welfare... Animal Welfare (OLAW), the organizational component of NIH that provides guidance and interpretation of... their next Animal Welfare Assurance renewal. OLAW has developed Position Statements located at http...

Development of in-vivo micro CT system for small animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nam, Ki Yong; Lim, Jong Hyeok; Jeong, Young Jo; Park, Jeong Gwon [Institute for Radiological Imaging Science, Iksan (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jung Bung [DRGEM Corp., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Kwon Ha [Institute for Radiological Imaging Science and Medical School of Radiology, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Computed tomography system with the spatial resolution of {approx}25 {mu}m has been developed for the application to small animals. This system is designed by gantry-rotation type for minimizing animal movement. To get image with micro-spatial resolution, system characteristic such as geometry between main components of source, specimen and detector, field of view, etc., is described in this paper. The requirements of x-ray spot size and CCD pixel size to approach the resolution are discussed. In-vivo imaging test for mouse is also presented as a result.

Development of in-vivo micro CT system for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Ki Yong; Lim, Jong Hyeok; Jeong, Young Jo; Park, Jeong Gwon; Park, Jung Bung; Yoon, Kwon Ha

2005-01-01

Computed tomography system with the spatial resolution of ∼25 μm has been developed for the application to small animals. This system is designed by gantry-rotation type for minimizing animal movement. To get image with micro-spatial resolution, system characteristic such as geometry between main components of source, specimen and detector, field of view, etc., is described in this paper. The requirements of x-ray spot size and CCD pixel size to approach the resolution are discussed. In-vivo imaging test for mouse is also presented as a result

Farm animal practitioners' views on their use and expectations of veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, P A; Epperson, W B

2013-05-11

Diagnostic sampling of farm animals by private veterinary practitioners can be an important contributing factor towards the discovery of emerging and exotic diseases. This focus group study of farm animal practitioners in Northern Ireland investigated their use and expectations of diagnostic veterinary laboratories, and elicited their opinions on the role of the private practitioner in veterinary surveillance and the protection of rural public health. The veterinarians were enthusiastic users of diagnostic laboratories, and regarded their own role in surveillance as pivotal. They attached great importance to their veterinary public health duties, and called for more collaboration with their medical general practitioner counterparts. The findings of this research can be used to guide future development of veterinary diagnostic services; provide further insights into the mechanics of scanning surveillance; and measure progress towards a 'One Health' approach between veterinarians and physicians in one geographical region of the UK.

Bone mineral analysis through dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujio, Masashi; Mizorogi, Toshihiro; Kitamura, Itsuko

2009-01-01

To determine how to eliminate species difference in animal bone experiment, bone mineral content (BMC) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) on the femurs of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus), and common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Measures were taken on femurs in situ, detached from the body, skinned and defleshed, or dried completely. When the BMC of the bone measured in the intact limb attached to the trunk was set at 100%, the actual BMC of the dry bone was 58.7±11.5% in mice and 103.2±3.2% in rats. Similarly, the bone area (Area) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the dried femur was significantly lower in the mouse femurs than intact limb. Thus, soft limb tissue such as skin and muscle modified the BMC, Area, and BMD only in mouse but not in those from rats or marmosets. The bone mineral ratio (BMR; BMC divided by dry bone weight) was nearest to the human bone value in the rat femurs, whereas the mouse femur BMR was the most different. The BMR was proved to be a practical index in evaluating bone characteristics in laboratory animals, but the mouse femur might not be suitable as an animal model for research into the aging of human bone. (author)

Accessories for detention and protection used in small animals radiation therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vettorato, Michel Campos; Vulcano, Luiz Carlos; Fernandes, Marco Antonio Rodrigues

2016-01-01

Radiation therapy is a medical method well established in the treatment of cancer in veterinary medicine worldwide. The radiotherapy protocols applied in animals vary according to several factors. In most procedures require sedation or anesthesia of the animal and this fact imposes the use of immobilization accessories specially developed for the different species of animals and treated as their specified procedures. Therefore, this study aims to describe the types of accessories used for immobilization and for the protection of small animals undergoing radiotherapy. For its development a literature search was performed by search sites like Google Scholar, Scielo, Bireme, PubMed, and consultations in books campus library Botucatu UNESP. Despite the limitations of each accessory rated this review, it was possible to identify the use of each and how this can be advantageous for the treatment of animals undergoing radiation therapy. (author)

Computed tomography of the central nervous system in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tipold, A.; Tipold, E.

1991-01-01

With computed tomography in 44 small animals some well defined anatomical structures and pathological processes of the central nervous system are described. Computed tomography is not only necessary for the diagnosis of tumors; malformations, inflammatory, degenerative and vascular diseases and traumas are also visible

Experience with a small animal hyperthermia ultrasound system (SAHUS): report on 83 tumours

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novak, P; Moros, E G; Parry, J J; Rogers, B E; Myerson, R J; Zeug, A; Locke, J E; Rossin, R; Straube, W L; Singh, A K

2005-01-01

An external local ultrasound (US) system was developed to induce controlled hyperthermia of subcutaneously implanted tumours in small animals (e.g., mice and rats). It was designed to be compatible with a small animal positron emission tomography scanner (microPET) to facilitate studies of hyperthermia-induced tumour re-oxygenation using a PET radiopharmaceutical, but it is applicable for any small animal study requiring controlled heating. The system consists of an acrylic applicator bed with up to four independent 5 MHz planar disc US transducers of 1 cm in diameter, a four-channel radiofrequency (RF) generator, a multiple thermocouple thermometry unit, and a personal computer with custom monitoring and controlling software. Although the system presented here was developed to target tumours of up to 1 cm in diameter, the applicator design allows for different piezoelectric transducers to be exchanged and operated within the 3.5-6.5 MHz band to target different tumour sizes. Temperature feedback control software was developed on the basis of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) approach when the measured temperatures were within a selectable temperature band about the target temperature. Outside this band, an on/off control action was applied. Perfused tissue-mimicking phantom experiments were performed to determine optimum controller gain constants, which were later employed successfully in animal experiments. The performance of the SAHUS (small animal hyperthermia ultrasound system) was tested using several tumour types grown in thighs of female nude (nu/nu) mice. To date, the system has successfully treated 83 tumours to target temperatures in the range of 41-43 deg. C for periods of 65 min on average

Design of a multimodal fibers optic system for small animal optical imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli, Antonello E; Pagliazzi, Marco; Boschi, Federico

2015-02-01

Small animals optical imaging systems are widely used in pre-clinical research to image in vivo the bio-distribution of light emitting probes using fluorescence or bioluminescence modalities. In this work we presented a set of simulated results of a novel small animal optical imaging module based on a fibers optics matrix, coupled with a position sensitive detector, devoted to acquire bioluminescence and Cerenkov images. Simulations were performed using GEANT 4 code with the GAMOS architecture using the tissue optics plugin. Results showed that it is possible to image a 30 × 30 mm region of interest using a fiber optics array containing 100 optical fibers without compromising the quality of the reconstruction. The number of fibers necessary to cover an adequate portion of a small animal is thus quite modest. This design allows integrating the module with magnetic resonance (MR) in order to acquire optical and MR images at the same time. A detailed model of the mouse anatomy, obtained by segmentation of 3D MRI images, will improve the quality of optical 3D reconstruction. Copyright © 2014 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Experience with Small Animal SPECT Imaging on Clinical Gamma Cameras

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Aguiar

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The traditional lack of techniques suitable for in vivo imaging has induced a great interest in molecular imaging for preclinical research. Nevertheless, its use spreads slowly due to the difficulties in justifying the high cost of the current dedicated preclinical scanners. An alternative for lowering the costs is to repurpose old clinical gamma cameras to be used for preclinical imaging. In this paper we assess the performance of a portable device, that is, working coupled to a single-head clinical gamma camera, and we present our preliminary experience in several small animal applications. Our findings, based on phantom experiments and animal studies, provided an image quality, in terms of contrast-noise trade-off, comparable to dedicated preclinical pinhole-based scanners. We feel that our portable device offers an opportunity for recycling the widespread availability of clinical gamma cameras in nuclear medicine departments to be used in small animal SPECT imaging and we hope that it can contribute to spreading the use of preclinical imaging within institutions on tight budgets.

Small animal SPECT and its place in the matrix of molecular imaging technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meikle, Steven R; Kench, Peter; Kassiou, Michael; Banati, Richard B

2005-01-01

Molecular imaging refers to the use of non-invasive imaging techniques to detect signals that originate from molecules, often in the form of an injected tracer, and observe their interaction with a specific cellular target in vivo. Differences in the underlying physical principles of these measurement techniques determine the sensitivity, specificity and length of possible observation of the signal, characteristics that have to be traded off according to the biological question under study. Here, we describe the specific characteristics of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) relative to other molecular imaging technologies. SPECT is based on the tracer principle and external radiation detection. It is capable of measuring the biodistribution of minute ( -10 molar) concentrations of radio-labelled biomolecules in vivo with sub-millimetre resolution and quantifying the molecular kinetic processes in which they participate. Like some other imaging techniques, SPECT was originally developed for human use and was subsequently adapted for imaging small laboratory animals at high spatial resolution for basic and translational research. Its unique capabilities include (i) the ability to image endogenous ligands such as peptides and antibodies due to the relative ease of labelling these molecules with technetium or iodine (ii) the ability to measure relatively slow kinetic processes (compared with positron emission tomography, for example) due to the long half-life of the commonly used isotopes and (iii) the ability to probe two or more molecular pathways simultaneously by detecting isotopes with different emission energies. In this paper, we review the technology developments and design tradeoffs that led to the current state-of-the-art in SPECT small animal scanning and describe the position SPECT occupies within the matrix of molecular imaging technologies. (topical review)

SU-E-T-124: Anthropomorphic Phantoms for Confirmation of Linear Accelerator Based Small Animal Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perks, J; Benedict, S [UC Davis Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA (United States); Lucero, S [UC Davis, Davis, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To document the support of radiobiological small animal research by a modern radiation oncology facility. This study confirms that a standard, human use linear accelerator can cover the range of experiments called for by researchers performing animal irradiation. A number of representative, anthropomorphic murine phantoms were made. The phantoms confirmed the small field photon and electron beams dosimetry validated the use of the linear accelerator for rodents. Methods: Laser scanning a model, CAD design and 3D printing produced the phantoms. The phantoms were weighed and CT scanned to judge their compatibility to real animals. Phantoms were produced to specifically mimic lung, gut, brain, and othotopic lesion irradiations. Each phantom was irradiated with the same protocol as prescribed to the live animals. Delivered dose was measured with small field ion chambers, MOS/FETs or TLDs. Results: The density of the phantom material compared to density range across the real mice showed that the printed material would yield sufficiently accurate measurements when irradiated. The whole body, lung and gut irradiations were measured within 2% of prescribed doses with A1SL ion chamber. MOSFET measurements of electron irradiations for the orthotopic lesions allowed refinement of the measured small field output factor to better than 2% and validated the immunology experiment of irradiating one lesion and sparing another. Conclusion: Linacs are still useful tools in small animal bio-radiation research. This work demonstrated a strong role for the clinical accelerator in small animal research, facilitating standard whole body dosing as well as conformal treatments down to 1cm field. The accuracy of measured dose, was always within 5%. The electron irradiations of the phantom brain and flank tumors needed adjustment; the anthropomorphic phantoms allowed refinement of the initial output factor measurements for these fields which were made in a large block of solid water.

Effects of Water Bottle Materials and Filtration on Bisphenol A Content in Laboratory Animal Drinking Water.

Science.gov (United States)

Honeycutt, Jennifer A; Nguyen, Jenny Q T; Kentner, Amanda C; Brenhouse, Heather C

2017-05-01

Bisphenol A (BPA) is widely used in the polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that are found in laboratory animal husbandry materials including cages and water bottles. Concerns about BPA exposure in humans has led to investigations that suggest physiologic health risks including disruptions to the endocrine system and CNS. However, the extent of exposure of laboratory animals to BPA in drinking water is unclear. In the first study, we compared the amount of BPA contamination in water stored in plastic bottles used in research settings with that in glass bottles. The amount of BPA that leached into water was measured across several time points ranging from 24 to 96 h by using a BPA ELISA assay. The results showed that considerable amounts of BPA (approximately 0.15 μg/L) leached from polycarbonate bottles within the first 24 h of storage. In the second study, BPA levels were measured directly from water taken from filtered compared with unfiltered taps. We observed significantly higher BPA levels in water from unfiltered taps (approximately 0.40 μg/L) compared with taps with filtration systems (approximately 0.04 μg/L). Taken together, our findings indicate that the use of different types of water bottles and water sources, combined with the use of different laboratory products (food, caging systems) between laboratories, likely contribute to decreased rigor and reproducibility in research. We suggest that researchers consider reporting the types of water bottles used and that animal care facilities educate staff regarding the importance of flushing nonfiltered water taps when filling animal water bottles.

Simulation of time curves in small animal PET using GATE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simon, Luc; Strul, Daniel; Santin, Giovanni; Krieguer, Magalie; Morel, Christian

2004-01-01

The ClearPET project of the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CCC) is building spin-off technology for high resolution small animal Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Monte Carlo simulation is essential for optimizing the specifications of these systems with regards to their most important characteristics, such as spatial resolution, sensitivity, or count rate performance. GATE, the Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission simulates the passing of time during real acquisitions, allowing to handle dynamic systems such as decaying source distributions or moving detectors. GATE output is analyzed on an event-by-event basis. The time associated with each single event allows to sort coincidences and to model dead-time. This leads to the study of time curves for a prospective small animal PET scanner design. The count rates of true, and random coincidences are discussed together with the corresponding Noise Equivalent Count (NEC) rates as a function of some PET scanner specifications such as detector dead time, or coincidence time window

Characterization of a high-purity germanium detector for small-animal SPECT.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Lindsay C; Campbell, Desmond L; Hull, Ethan L; Peterson, Todd E

2011-09-21

We present an initial evaluation of a mechanically cooled, high-purity germanium double-sided strip detector as a potential gamma camera for small-animal SPECT. It is 90 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick with two sets of 16 orthogonal strips that have a 4.5 mm width with a 5 mm pitch. We found an energy resolution of 0.96% at 140 keV, an intrinsic efficiency of 43.3% at 122 keV and a FWHM spatial resolution of approximately 1.5 mm. We demonstrated depth-of-interaction estimation capability through comparison of pinhole acquisitions with a point source on and off axes. Finally, a flood-corrected flood image exhibited a strip-level uniformity of less than 1%. This high-purity germanium offers many desirable properties for small-animal SPECT.

Application of gamma radiation for the treatment of laboratory animal diets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ley, F.J.

1979-01-01

The use of gamma radiation for the treatment of laboratory animal diets has proved particularly successful. The effective inactivation of microorganisms, insects and parasites etc. is well demonstrated and the absence of adverse effects on the dietary components is inferred from many years of practical use. Adequate packaging of the pelleted diets is essential to avoid recontamination after irradiation; this aspect needs particular attention. The economics of the process are such that it would not be warranted to invest in a 60 Co plant specifically for the treatment of laboratory diets. However, a throughput in the order of 1000 to 1500 tonnes per annum, as estimated to meet UK current demand, can be catered for adequately and economically in a large-scale general service facility. (author)

Development of a Magnetoencephalograph System for Small Animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J. E.; Kim, I. S.; Kang, C. S.; Kwon, H.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, Y. H.; Kim, K.

2011-01-01

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/Hz 1/2 /cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

Improvement of semi-quantitative small-animal PET data with recovery coefficients: a phantom and rat study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aide, Nicolas; Louis, Marie-Hélène; Dutoit, Soizic; Labiche, Alexandre; Lemoisson, Edwige; Briand, Mélanie; Nataf, Valérie; Poulain, Laurent; Gauduchon, Pascal; Talbot, Jean-Noël; Montravers, Françoise

2007-10-01

To evaluate the accuracy of semi-quantitative small-animal PET data, uncorrected for attenuation, and then of the same semi-quantitative data corrected by means of recovery coefficients (RCs) based on phantom studies. A phantom containing six fillable spheres (diameter range: 4.4-14 mm) was filled with an 18F-FDG solution (spheres/background activity=10.1, 5.1 and 2.5). RCs, defined as measured activity/expected activity, were calculated. Nude rats harbouring tumours (n=50) were imaged after injection of 18F-FDG and sacrificed. The standardized uptake value (SUV) in tumours was determined with small-animal PET and compared to ex-vivo counting (ex-vivo SUV). Small-animal PET SUVs were corrected with RCs based on the greatest tumour diameter. Tumour proliferation was assessed with cyclin A immunostaining and correlated to the SUV. RCs ranged from 0.33 for the smallest sphere to 0.72 for the largest. A sigmoidal correlation was found between RCs and sphere diameters (r(2)=0.99). Small-animal PET SUVs were well correlated with ex-vivo SUVs (y=0.48x-0.2; r(2)=0.71) and the use of RCs based on the greatest tumour diameter significantly improved regression (y=0.84x-0.81; r(2)=0.77), except for tumours with important necrosis. Similar results were obtained without sacrificing animals, by using PET images to estimate tumour dimensions. RC-based corrections improved correlation between small-animal PET SUVs and tumour proliferation (uncorrected data: Rho=0.79; corrected data: Rho=0.83). Recovery correction significantly improves both accuracy of small-animal PET semi-quantitative data in rat studies and their correlation with tumour proliferation, except for largely necrotic tumours.

Measurement of flow velocity fields in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals using micro ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (micro-EPIV).

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Ming; Niu, Lili; Wang, Yanping; Jiang, Bo; Jin, Qiaofeng; Jiang, Chunxiang; Zheng, Hairong

2010-10-21

Determining a multidimensional velocity field within microscale opaque fluid flows is needed in areas such as microfluidic devices, biofluid mechanics and hemodynamics research in animal studies. The ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) technique is appropriate for measuring opaque flows by taking advantage of PIV and B-mode ultrasound contrast imaging. However, the use of clinical ultrasound systems for imaging flows in small structures or animals has limitations associated with spatial resolution. This paper reports on the development of a high-resolution EchoPIV technique (termed as micro-EPIV) and its application in measuring flows in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals. Phantom experiments demonstrate the validity of the technique, providing velocity estimates within 4.1% of the analytically derived values with regard to the flows in a small straight vessel-mimic phantom, and velocity estimates within 5.9% of the computationally simulated values with regard to the flows in a small stenotic vessel-mimic phantom. Animal studies concerning arterial and venous flows of living rats and rabbits show that the micro-EPIV-measured peak velocities within several cardiac cycles are about 25% below the values measured by the ultrasonic spectral Doppler technique. The micro-EPIV technique is able to effectively measure the flow fields within microscale opaque fluid flows.

Measurement of flow velocity fields in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals using micro ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (micro-EPIV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Ming; Niu Lili; Jiang Bo; Jin Qiaofeng; Jiang Chunxiang; Zheng Hairong; Wang Yanping

2010-01-01

Determining a multidimensional velocity field within microscale opaque fluid flows is needed in areas such as microfluidic devices, biofluid mechanics and hemodynamics research in animal studies. The ultrasonic particle image velocimetry (EchoPIV) technique is appropriate for measuring opaque flows by taking advantage of PIV and B-mode ultrasound contrast imaging. However, the use of clinical ultrasound systems for imaging flows in small structures or animals has limitations associated with spatial resolution. This paper reports on the development of a high-resolution EchoPIV technique (termed as micro-EPIV) and its application in measuring flows in small vessel-mimic phantoms and vessels of small animals. Phantom experiments demonstrate the validity of the technique, providing velocity estimates within 4.1% of the analytically derived values with regard to the flows in a small straight vessel-mimic phantom, and velocity estimates within 5.9% of the computationally simulated values with regard to the flows in a small stenotic vessel-mimic phantom. Animal studies concerning arterial and venous flows of living rats and rabbits show that the micro-EPIV-measured peak velocities within several cardiac cycles are about 25% below the values measured by the ultrasonic spectral Doppler technique. The micro-EPIV technique is able to effectively measure the flow fields within microscale opaque fluid flows.

Geo-PET: A novel generic organ-pet for small animal organs and tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Sensoy, Levent

Reconstructed tomographic image resolution of small animal PET imaging systems is improving with advances in radiation detector development. However the trend towards higher resolution systems has come with an increase in price and system complexity. Recent developments in the area of solid-state photomultiplication devices like silicon photomultiplier arrays (SPMA) are creating opportunities for new high performance tools for PET scanner design. Imaging of excised small animal organs and tissues has been used as part of post-mortem studies in order to gain detailed, high-resolution anatomical information on sacrificed animals. However, this kind of ex-vivo specimen imaging has largely been limited to ultra-high resolution muCT. The inherent limitations to PET resolution have, to date, excluded PET imaging from these ex-vivo imaging studies. In this work, we leverage the diminishing physical size of current generation SPMA designs to create a very small, simple, and high-resolution prototype detector system targeting ex-vivo tomographic imaging of small animal organs and tissues. We investigate sensitivity, spatial resolution, and the reconstructed image quality of a prototype small animal PET scanner designed specifically for imaging of excised murine tissue and organs. We aim to demonstrate that a cost-effective silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) array based design with thin crystals (2 mm) to minimize depth of interaction errors might be able to achieve sub-millimeter resolution. We hypothesize that the substantial decrease in sensitivity associated with the thin crystals can be compensated for with increased solid angle detection, longer acquisitions, higher activity and wider acceptance energy windows (due to minimal scatter from excised organs). The constructed system has a functional field of view (FoV) of 40 mm diameter, which is adequate for most small animal specimen studies. We perform both analytical (3D-FBP) and iterative (ML-EM) methods in order to

Visualization of small lesions in rat cartilage by means of laboratory-based x-ray phase contrast imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Marenzana, Massimo; Hagen, Charlotte K.; Das Neves Borges, Patricia; Endrizzi, Marco; Szafraniec, Magdalena B.; Ignatyev, Konstantin; Olivo, Alessandro

2012-12-01

Being able to quantitatively assess articular cartilage in three-dimensions (3D) in small rodent animal models, with a simple laboratory set-up, would prove extremely important for the development of pre-clinical research focusing on cartilage pathologies such as osteoarthritis (OA). These models are becoming essential tools for the development of new drugs for OA, a disease affecting up to 1/3 of the population older than 50 years for which there is no cure except prosthetic surgery. However, due to limitations in imaging technology, high-throughput 3D structural imaging has not been achievable in small rodent models, thereby limiting their translational potential and their efficiency as research tools. We show that a simple laboratory system based on coded-aperture x-ray phase contrast imaging (CAXPCi) can correctly visualize the cartilage layer in slices of an excised rat tibia imaged both in air and in saline solution. Moreover, we show that small, surgically induced lesions are also correctly detected by the CAXPCi system, and we support this finding with histopathology examination. Following these successful proof-of-concept results in rat cartilage, we expect that an upgrade of the system to higher resolutions (currently underway) will enable extending the method to the imaging of mouse cartilage as well. From a technological standpoint, by showing the capability of the system to detect cartilage also in water, we demonstrate phase sensitivity comparable to other lab-based phase methods (e.g. grating interferometry). In conclusion, CAXPCi holds a strong potential for being adopted as a routine laboratory tool for non-destructive, high throughput assessment of 3D structural changes in murine articular cartilage, with a possible impact in the field similar to the revolution that conventional microCT brought into bone research.

Control of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP for small animal ventilators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leão Nunes Marcelo V

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP for the mechanical ventilation of small animals is frequently obtained with water seals or by using ventilators developed for human use. An alternative mechanism is the use of an on-off expiratory valve closing at the moment when the alveolar pressure is equal to the target PEEP. In this paper, a novel PEEP controller (PEEP-new and the PEEP system of a commercial small-animal ventilator, both based on switching an on-off valve, are evaluated. Methods The proposed PEEP controller is a discrete integrator monitoring the error between the target PEEP and the airways opening pressure prior to the onset of an inspiratory cycle. In vitro as well as in vivo experiments with rats were carried out and the PEEP accuracy, settling time and under/overshoot were considered as a measure of performance. Results The commercial PEEP controller did not pass the tests since it ignores the airways resistive pressure drop, resulting in a PEEP 5 cmH2O greater than the target in most conditions. The PEEP-new presented steady-state errors smaller than 0.5 cmH2O, with settling times below 10 s and under/overshoot smaller than 2 cmH2O. Conclusion The PEEP-new presented acceptable performance, considering accuracy and temporal response. This novel PEEP generator may prove useful in many applications for small animal ventilators.

Coil concepts for rapid and motion-compensated MR-Imaging of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korn, Matthias

2009-01-01

In this work radiofrequency-coils for the imaging of small animals in clinical whole-body MRI-systems were developed. Therefore in a first step single-channel solenoids were designed and characterized. The solenoids had two and three windings respectively, which were implemented as double wires to increase the homogeneity of the receive profile. These coils allow the acquisition of whole-body images of mice with high signal-to-noise ratio and homogeneity over a distance of at least 6.3 cm. Since many imaging experiments require rapid image acquisition, in the next step a novel coil concept was developed, which, due to its geometry, enables parallel imaging in arbitrary directions. A prototype was assembled and tested on phantom and small-animal experiments. With an accelerating factor of R=2, the difference of the SNR in all directions from the theoretical maximum, was less than 1%. In order to compensate physiological motion by the self-gating technique, in this work a coil is presented for the first time, which selectively amplifies the self-gating signal, while - due to a optical detuning technique - preserving the homogeneous illumination of the image. In vivo experiments on a small animal show an amplification of the self-gating signal by at least 40%. (orig.)

Reaction-based small-molecule fluorescent probes for dynamic detection of ROS and transient redox changes in living cells and small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Rui

2017-09-01

Dynamic detection of transient redox changes in living cells and animals has broad implications for human health and disease diagnosis, because intracellular redox homeostasis regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays important role in cell functions, normal physiological functions and some serious human diseases (e.g., cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, etc.) usually have close relationship with the intracellular redox status. Small-molecule ROS-responsive fluorescent probes can act as powerful tools for dynamic detection of ROS and redox changes in living cells and animals through fluorescence imaging techniques; and great advances have been achieved recently in the design and synthesis of small-molecule ROS-responsive fluorescent probes. This article highlights up-to-date achievements in designing and using the reaction-based small-molecule fluorescent probes (with high sensitivity and selectivity to ROS and redox cycles) in the dynamic detection of ROS and transient redox changes in living cells and animals through fluorescence imaging. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Enclosure for small animals during awake animal imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Goddard, Jr., James S

2013-11-26

An enclosure or burrow restrains an awake animal during an imaging procedure. A tubular body, made from a radiolucent material that does not attenuate x-rays or gamma rays, accepts an awake animal. A proximal end of the body includes an attachment surface that corresponds to an attachment surface of an optically transparent and optically uniform window. An anti-reflective coating may be applied to an inner surface, an outer surface, or both surfaces of the window. Since the window is a separate element of the enclosure and it is not integrally formed as part of the body, it can be made with optically uniform thickness properties for improved motion tracking of markers on the animal with a camera during the imaging procedure. The motion tracking information is then used to compensate for animal movement in the image.

Importance of Attenuation Correction (AC) for Small Animal PET Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El Ali, Henrik H.; Bodholdt, Rasmus Poul; Jørgensen, Jesper Tranekjær

2012-01-01

was performed. Methods: Ten NMRI nude mice with subcutaneous implantation of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were scanned consecutively in small animal PET and CT scanners (MicroPETTM Focus 120 and ImTek’s MicroCATTM II). CT-based AC, PET-based AC and uniform AC methods were compared. Results: The activity...

Development of a Magnetoencephalograph System for Small Animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. E.; Kim, I. S.; Kang, C. S.; Kwon, H.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, Y. H.; Kim, K. [Brain and Cognition Measurement Laboratory, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science(KRISS), Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-08-15

We developed a four-channel first order gradiometer system to measure magnetoencephalogram for mice. We used double relaxation oscillation SQUID (DROS). The diameter of the pickup coil is 4 mm and the distance between the coils is 5 mm. Coil distance was designed to have good spatial resolution for a small mouse brain. We evaluated the current dipole localization confidence region for a mouse brain, using the spherical conductor model. The white noise of the measurement system was about 30 fT/Hz{sup 1/2}/cm when measured in a magnetically shielded room. We measured magnetic signal from a phantom having the same size of a mouse brain, which was filled with 0.9% saline solution. The results suggest that the developed system has a feasibility to study the functions of brain of small animals.

Primary functions of the first Japanese large-scale facility for exposing small animals to radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Yuu; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro; Yamaoka, Kiyonori; Kataoka, Takahiro; Sakoda, Akihiro

2010-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Okayama University have carried out the experimental animal study and its related studies since 2007 in order to examine the physiological effects of radon in detail. Thus, a radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical certainty of our animal tests. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its types in Japan. The facility has a potential of approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups each of which consists of five independent cages. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. The major functions of the facility controlling radon and avoiding thoron were shown theoretically and experimentally. The relative standard deviation of radon concentration at the highest concentration group was about 5%, although the lower concentration groups seemed to be affected by variations in background radon. (author)

Bone scintigraphy for the investigation of lameness in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolln, G.; Franke, C.

2010-01-01

Bone scintigraphy has been used as a helpful method in diagnosing lameness in small animals. It is a sensitive, non-invasive method to evaluate bone lesions and orthopaedic disorders. It provides a functional image of the skeleton and thereby aiding in the localisation and diagnosing of obscure lameness. Compared to human medicine one important difference is the inability of an animal to characterize its pain to the examiner. Another difference is the lacking cooperation of an animal during bone scintigraphy. Before this background are shown on the basis of 5 examples the advantages, the method and the different indication of bone scintigraphy. The technique of this method arrives from a human medicine protocol of a 2-phase-bone-scintigraphy and has to be done under light anaesthesia, to avoid artefacts of movement during acquisitions. The authors are convinced that bone scintigraphy is a very useful and diagnostic method for evaluation of obscure lameness because it can give a quick diagnosis and aimed therapy. Therefore secondary changes and additional costs can be avoided for the animal and its owner. (orig.)

A core laboratory offering full evaluation of new boron compounds. A service to the BNCT community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamenhof, R.G.; Patel, H.; Palmer, M.R.; Lin, H.C.; Busse, P.M.; Harling, O.; Binns, P.J.; Riley, K.J.; Bernard, J.

2000-01-01

A joint project by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School and The Nuclear Reactor Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is proposed which would provide a core laboratory for the evaluation of new boron compounds. Federal agency funding has been applied for to support such a facility. The facility's evaluation of candidate boron compounds will include: quantitative cellular boron uptake; cell survival curve analysis (using a thermal neutron beam); small or large animal pharmacokinetic analysis; macro- and micro boron distribution analysis using high-resolution autoradiography, prompt gamma analysis and ICP-AES; small or large animal in vivo tumor control studies (using thermal or epithermal neutron beams); and pharmacological in vivo toxicity evaluation. The laboratory will include small and large animal surgical facilities and resources for additional boron compound chemistry as required by the evaluation procedure. This facility will be open to the BNCT research community. (author)

Evaluating performance of a pixel array semiconductor SPECT system for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubo, Naoki; Zhao, Songji; Fujiki, Yutaka

2005-01-01

Small animal imaging has recently been focused on basic nuclear medicine. We have designed and built a small animal SPECT imaging system using a semiconductor camera and a newly designed collimator. We assess the performance of this system for small object imaging. We employed an MGC 1500 (Acrorad Co.) camera including a CdTe semiconductor. The pixel size was 1.4 mm/pixel. We designed and produced a parallel-hole collimator with 20-mm hole length. Our SPECT system consisted of a semiconductor camera with the subject holder set on an electric rotating stage controlled by a computer. We compared this system with a conventional small animal SPECT system comprising a SPECT-2000H scanner with four Anger type cameras and pinhole collimators. The count rate linearity for estimation of the scatter was evaluated for a pie-chart phantom containing different concentrations of 99m Tc. We measured the full width half maximum (FWHM) of the 99m Tc SPECT line source along with scatter. The system volume sensitivity was examined using a flood source phantom which was 35 mm long with a 32-mm inside diameter. Additionally, an in vivo myocardial perfusion SPECT study was performed with a rat. With regards to energy resolution, the semiconductor camera (5.6%) was superior to the conventional Anger type camera (9.8%). In the count rate linearity evaluation, the regression lines of the SPECT values were y=0.019x+0.031 (r 2 =0.999) for our system and y=0.018x+0.060 (r 2 =0.997) for the conventional system. Thus, the scatter count using the semiconductor camera was less than that using the conventional camera. FWHMs of our system and the conventional system were 2.9±0.1 and 2.0±0.1 mm, respectively. Moreover, the system volume sensitivity of our system [0.51 kcps/(MBq/ml)/cm] was superior to that of the conventional system [0.44 kcps/(MBq/ml)/cm]. Our system provided clear images of the rat myocardium, sufficient for practical use in small animal imaging. Our SPECT system, utilizing a

Open-source, small-animal magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound system.

Science.gov (United States)

Poorman, Megan E; Chaplin, Vandiver L; Wilkens, Ken; Dockery, Mary D; Giorgio, Todd D; Grissom, William A; Caskey, Charles F

2016-01-01

MR-guided focused ultrasound or high-intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS/MRgHIFU) is a non-invasive therapeutic modality with many potential applications in areas such as cancer therapy, drug delivery, and blood-brain barrier opening. However, the large financial costs involved in developing preclinical MRgFUS systems represent a barrier to research groups interested in developing new techniques and applications. We aim to mitigate these challenges by detailing a validated, open-source preclinical MRgFUS system capable of delivering thermal and mechanical FUS in a quantifiable and repeatable manner under real-time MRI guidance. A hardware and software package was developed that includes closed-loop feedback controlled thermometry code and CAD drawings for a therapy table designed for a preclinical MRI scanner. For thermal treatments, the modular software uses a proportional integral derivative controller to maintain a precise focal temperature rise in the target given input from MR phase images obtained concurrently. The software computes the required voltage output and transmits it to a FUS transducer that is embedded in the delivery table within the magnet bore. The delivery table holds the FUS transducer, a small animal and its monitoring equipment, and a transmit/receive RF coil. The transducer is coupled to the animal via a water bath and is translatable in two dimensions from outside the magnet. The transducer is driven by a waveform generator and amplifier controlled by real-time software in Matlab. MR acoustic radiation force imaging is also implemented to confirm the position of the focus for mechanical and thermal treatments. The system was validated in tissue-mimicking phantoms and in vivo during murine tumor hyperthermia treatments. Sonications were successfully controlled over a range of temperatures and thermal doses for up to 20 min with minimal temperature overshoot. MR thermometry was validated with an optical temperature probe, and focus

Audio-Tutorial Versus Conventional Lecture-Laboratory Instruction in a University Animal Biology Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowsey, Robert E.

The purpose of this study was to analyze two methods of instruction used in an animal biology course. One group of students, the experimental group, was taught using an audio-tutorial program, and another group, the control group, was taught using the conventional lecture-laboratory method. Pretest and posttest data were collected from achievement…

Performance characteristics of a small animal PET camera for molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hastings, D.L.; Reader, A.J.; Julyan, P.J.; Zweit, J.; Jeavons, A.P.; Jones, T.

2007-01-01

The performance of a novel type of animal PET camera, the quad High-Density Avalanche Chamber (HIDAC) was assessed for a non-rotating 16-module system. Spatial resolution was 1.0 mm, and invariant within a standard deviation ≤5%. Absolute sensitivity was 0.95%, and the scatter-background corrected sensitivity was 0.75%. The count rate capability was linear at typical activities used in animal imaging, with a 20% loss at 11.5 MBq. The camera demonstrates small regions of radiotracer uptake with excellent detail in the mouse

The therapeutic lamp: treating small-animal phobias.

Science.gov (United States)

Wrzesien, Maja; Alcañiz, Mariano; Botella, Cristina; Burkhardt, Jean-Marie; Bretón-López, Juana; Ortega, Mario; Brotons, Daniel Beneito

2013-01-01

We all have an irrational fear or two. Some of us get scared by an unexpected visit from a spider in our house; others get nervous when they look down from a high building. Fear is an evolutionary and adaptive function that can promote self-preservation and help us deal with the feared object or situation. However, when this state becomes excessive, it might develop into psychological disorders such as phobias, producing high anxiety and affecting everyday life. The Therapeutic Lamp is an interactive projection-based augmented-reality system for treating small-animal phobias. It aims to increase patient-therapist communication, promote more natural interaction, and improve the patient's engagement in the therapy.

Mapping the Teaching of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine in the European Union and European Free Trade Area.

Science.gov (United States)

Iatridou, Despoina; Nagy, Zsuzsanna; De Briyne, Nancy; Saunders, Jimmy; Bravo, Ana

2018-06-13

Developing a common market and allowing free movement of goods, services, and people is one of the main objectives of the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area. In the field of scientific research, Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes aims to improve the welfare of laboratory animals by following the principle of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement). Each breeder, supplier, and user must appoint a designated veterinarian to advise on the well-being and treatment of the animals. In our report we investigate how the undergraduate veterinary curriculum prepares future veterinarians for the role of designated veterinarian, by analyzing data from 77 European veterinary education establishments. Over 80% of them provide training in laboratory animal science and medicine in their curriculum. All countries in the EU and the European Free Trade Area, having national veterinary schools, include such training in the curriculum of at least one of their establishments. Laboratory animal science and medicine courses can be obligatory or elective and are often part of more than one subject in the veterinary curricula. Post-graduate courses or programs are available at more than 50% of those veterinary schools. Most authorities in the European region consider graduate veterinarians ready to seek the role as designated veterinarian immediately after graduation.

Preclinical molecular imaging: development of instrumentation for translational research with small laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Mejia, Jorge; Miranda, Ana Claudia Camargo; Durante, Ana Claudia Ranucci; Oliveira, Larissa Rolim de; Barboza, Marycel Rosa Felisa Figols de; Rosell, Katerin Taboada; Jardim, Daniele Pereira; Campos, Alexandre Holthausen; Reis, Marilia Alves Dos; Catanoso, Marcela Forli; Galvis-Alonso, Orfa Yineth; Cabral, Francisco Romero

2016-01-01

To present the result of upgrading a clinical gamma-camera to be used to obtain in vivo tomographic images of small animal organs, and its application to register cardiac, renal and neurological images. An updated version of the miniSPECT upgrading device was built, which is composed of mechanical, electronic and software subsystems. The device was attached to a Discovery VH (General Electric Healthcare) gamma-camera, which was retired from the clinical service and installed at the Centro de Imagem Pré-Clínica of the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. The combined system was characterized, determining operational parameters, such as spatial resolution, magnification, maximum acceptable target size, number of projections, and acquisition and reconstruction times. Images were obtained with 0.5mm spatial resolution, with acquisition and reconstruction times between 30 and 45 minutes, using iterative reconstruction with 10 to 20 iterations and 4 projection subsets. The system was validated acquiring in vivo tomographic images of the heart, kidneys and brain of normal animals (mice and adult rats), using the radiopharmaceuticals technetium-labeled hexakis-2-methoxy-isobutyl isonitrile (99mTc-Sestamibi), technetium-labeled dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc-DMSA) and technetium-labeled hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO). This kind of application, which consists in the adaptation for an alternative objective of already existing instrumentation, resulted in a low-cost infrastructure option, allowing to carry out large scale in vivo studies with enhanced quality in several areas, such as neurology, nephrology, cardiology, among others. Apresentar o resultado da adaptação de uma gama câmara clínica para uso dedicado na obtenção de imagens tomográficas in vivo de órgãos de pequenos animais de experimentação, e de sua aplicação na obtenção de imagens cardíacas, renais e neurológicas. Foi construída uma versão atualizada do dispositivo de adapta

Cone Beam Micro-CT System for Small Animal Imaging and Performance Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shouping Zhu

2009-01-01

in this paper. Experimental results show that the system is suitable for small animal imaging and is adequate to provide high-resolution anatomic information for bioluminescence tomography to build a dual modality system.

Nutrient requirements of laboratory animals

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Subcommittee on Laboratory Animal Nutrition; Committee on Animal Nutrition; Board on Agriculture, National Research Council; Institute for Laboratory Animal Research; National Research Council; National Academy of Sciences

1995-01-01

... Animal Nutrition Committee on Animal Nutrition Board on Agriculture National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. 1995 i Copyrightline as original; publication to the this true are version of breaks print Page files. the use Please typesetting inserted. original accidentally from been not have book, may paper errors the original typog...

Implementation and assessment of an animal management system for small-animal micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Holdsworth, David W.; Detombe, Sarah A.; Chiodo, Chris; Fricke, Stanley T.; Drangova, Maria

2011-03-01

Advances in laboratory imaging systems for CT, SPECT, MRI, and PET facilitate routine micro-imaging during pre-clinical investigations. Challenges still arise when dealing with immune-compromised animals, biohazardous agents, and multi-modality imaging. These challenges can be overcome with an appropriate animal management system (AMS), with the capability for supporting and monitoring a rat or mouse during micro-imaging. We report the implementation and assessment of a new AMS system for mice (PRA-3000 / AHS-2750, ASI Instruments, Warren MI), designed to be compatible with a commercial micro-CT / micro-SPECT imaging system (eXplore speCZT, GE Healthcare, London ON). The AMS was assessed under the following criteria: 1) compatibility with the imaging system (i.e. artifact generation, geometric dimensions); 2) compatibility with live animals (i.e. positioning, temperature regulation, anesthetic supply); 3) monitoring capabilities (i.e. rectal temperature, respiratory and cardiac monitoring); 4) stability of co-registration; and 5) containment. Micro-CT scans performed using a standardized live-animal protocol (90 kVp, 40 mA, 900 views, 16 ms per view) exhibited low noise (+/-19 HU) and acceptable artifact from high-density components within the AMS (e.g. ECG pad contacts). Live mice were imaged repeatedly (with removal and replacement of the AMS) and spatial registration was found to be stable to within +/-0.07 mm. All animals tolerated enclosure within the AMS for extended periods (i.e. > one hour) without distress, based on continuous recordings of rectal temperature, ECG waveform and respiratory rate. A sealed AMS system extends the capability of a conventional micro-imaging system to include immune-compromised and biosafety level 2 mouse-imaging protocols.

Transnational Organizational Considerations for Sociocultural Differences in Ethics and Virtual Team Functioning in Laboratory Animal Science

OpenAIRE

Pritt, Stacy L; Mackta, Jayne

2010-01-01

Business models for transnational organizations include linking different geographies through common codes of conduct, policies, and virtual teams. Global companies with laboratory animal science activities (whether outsourced or performed inhouse) often see the need for these business activities in relation to animal-based research and benefit from them. Global biomedical research organizations can learn how to better foster worldwide cooperation and teamwork by understanding and working wit...

A high resolution small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) with x-ray tomographic guidance capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, John; Armour, Elwood; Kazanzides, Peter; Iordachita, Iulian; Tryggestad, Erik; Deng, Hua; Matinfar, Mohammad; Kennedy, Christopher; Liu, Zejian; Chan, Timothy; Gray, Owen; Verhaegen, Frank; McNutt, Todd; Ford, Eric; DeWeese, Theodore L.

2008-01-01

Purpose To demonstrate the CT imaging, conformal irradiation and treatment planning capabilities of a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP). Methods The SARRP employs a dual-focal spot, constant voltage x-ray source mounted on a gantry with a source-to-isocenter distance of 35 cm. Gantry rotation is limited to 120° from vertical. Eighty to 100 kVp x-rays from the smaller 0.4 mm focal spot are used for imaging. Both 0.4 mm and 3.0 mm focal spots operate at 225 kVp for irradiation. Robotic translate/rotate stages are used to position the animal. Cone-beam (CB) CT imaging is achieved by rotating the horizontal animal between the stationary x-ray source and a flat-panel detector. Radiation beams range from 0.5 mm in diameter to (60 × 60) mm2. Dosimetry is measured with radio-chromic films. Monte Carlo dose calculations are employed for treatment planning. The combination of gantry and robotic stage motions facilitate conformal irradiation. Results The SARRP spans 3 ft × 4 ft × 6 ft (WxLxH). Depending on filtration, the isocenter dose outputs at 1 cm depth in water range from 22 to 375 cGy/min from the smallest to the largest radiation fields. The 20% to 80% dose fall-off spans 0.16 mm. CBCT with (0.6 × 0.6 × 0.6) mm3 voxel resolution is acquired with less than 1 cGy. Treatment planning is performed at sub-mm resolution. Conclusions The capability of the SARRP to deliver highly focal beams to multiple animal model systems provides new research opportunities that more realistically bridge laboratory research and clinical translation. PMID:18640502

Fully automated intrinsic respiratory and cardiac gating for small animal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuntz, J; Baeuerle, T; Semmler, W; Bartling, S H [Department of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Dinkel, J [Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (Germany); Zwick, S [Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Physics, Freiburg University (Germany); Grasruck, M [Siemens Healthcare, Forchheim (Germany); Kiessling, F [Chair of Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH-Aachen University, Medical Faculty, Aachen (Germany); Gupta, R [Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)], E-mail: j.kuntz@dkfz.de

2010-04-07

A fully automated, intrinsic gating algorithm for small animal cone-beam CT is described and evaluated. A parameter representing the organ motion, derived from the raw projection images, is used for both cardiac and respiratory gating. The proposed algorithm makes it possible to reconstruct motion-corrected still images as well as to generate four-dimensional (4D) datasets representing the cardiac and pulmonary anatomy of free-breathing animals without the use of electrocardiogram (ECG) or respiratory sensors. Variation analysis of projections from several rotations is used to place a region of interest (ROI) on the diaphragm. The ROI is cranially extended to include the heart. The centre of mass (COM) variation within this ROI, the filtered frequency response and the local maxima are used to derive a binary motion-gating parameter for phase-sensitive gated reconstruction. This algorithm was implemented on a flat-panel-based cone-beam CT scanner and evaluated using a moving phantom and animal scans (seven rats and eight mice). Volumes were determined using a semiautomatic segmentation. In all cases robust gating signals could be obtained. The maximum volume error in phantom studies was less than 6%. By utilizing extrinsic gating via externally placed cardiac and respiratory sensors, the functional parameters (e.g. cardiac ejection fraction) and image quality were equivalent to this current gold standard. This algorithm obviates the necessity of both gating hardware and user interaction. The simplicity of the proposed algorithm enables adoption in a wide range of small animal cone-beam CT scanners.

An automated robot arm system for small animal tissue biopsy under dual-image modality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Y.H.; Wu, T.H.; Lin, M.H.; Yang, C.C.; Guo, W.Y.; Wang, Z.J.; Chen, C.L.; Lee, J.S.

2006-01-01

The ability to non-invasively monitor cell biology in vivo is one of the most important goals of molecular imaging. Imaging procedures could be inter-subject performed repeatedly at different investigating stages; thereby need not sacrifice small animals during the entire study period. Thus, the ultimate goal of this study was to design a stereotactic image-guided system for small animals and integrated it with an automatic robot arm for in vivo tissue biopsy analysis. The system was composed of three main parts, including one small animal stereotactic frame, one imaging-fusion software and an automatic robot arm system. The system has been thoroughly evaluated with three components; the robot position accuracy was 0.05±0.02 mm, the image registration accuracy was 0.37±0.18 mm and the system integration was satisfactorily within 1.20±0.39 mm of error. From these results, the system demonstrated sufficient accuracy to guide the micro-injector from the planned delivery routes into practice. The entire system accuracy was limited by the image fusion and orientation procedures, due to its nature of the blurred PET imaging obtained from the small objects. The primary improvement is to acquire as higher resolution as possible the fused imaging for localizing the targets in the future

Performance of the first Japanese large-scale facility for radon inhalation experiments with small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishimori, Y.; Mitsunobu, F.; Yamaoka, K.; Tanaka, H.; Kataoka, T.; Sakoda, A.

2011-01-01

A radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical validity of differences of the biological response in various radon environments. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its kind in Japan. The facility has a capability to conduct approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups with five independent cages each. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. Because the first target of this study is to examine the in vivo behaviour of radon and its effects, the major functions to control radon and to eliminate thoron were examined experimentally. Additionally, radon progeny concentrations and their particle size distributions in the cages were also examined experimentally to be considered in future projects. (authors)

Spatial distribution of free-of-charge pathology submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratories during the exotic Newcastle outbreak in 2002-2003.

Science.gov (United States)

Soberano, Gustavo; Carpenter, A Tim E; Cardona, Carol; Charlton, Bruce

2009-03-01

After the 1971-1973 outbreak of exotic Newcastle disease (END) in California, a free-of-charge diagnostic submission program was created for backyard poultry flocks. This program was implemented to improve disease surveillance in small poultry flocks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of free-of-charge pathology submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratories during the END outbreak in 2002-2003. Cases and controls were selected from within a 100-mile (161-km) radius of each of three laboratories, and their geographic distributions were evaluated. Global clustering of cases was significant around all three laboratories, with mixed results at the local clustering level and the only significant clustering at the focal level around the Davis laboratory with an observed to expected ratio of approximately 5. The area of influence for all three laboratories was about 20 miles (32 km). The significant clustering of cases around the laboratories indicates that more public information about the free-of-charge program could result in coverage of a larger portion of the population; however, the value of the information resulting from increased sampling should be considered relative to the additional cost of obtaining it.

Veterinarians' perceptions of behaviour support in small-animal practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Roshier, A L; McBride, E A

2013-03-09

Veterinarians are professionals considered to be at the forefront of animal welfare, including behaviour medicine. However, concerns raised, both within the profession and without, highlight that the support offered is not optimal, due to deficiencies in veterinary training, which focuses on physical aspects and overlooks psychological aspects. This preliminary study explored the experiences and perceptions of six veterinarians (three male, three female, age range: 23-55 years) in two UK small-animal practices. Seventeen annual booster consultations were videoed and conversations thematically analysed for welfare topics discussed. Both veterinarians and clients completed questionnaires to gather demographic information and perspectives. All veterinarians recognised behaviour as a component of their caseload, and acknowledged that clients expected them to provide behaviour support. Veterinarians varied in their experiences of and confidence in providing behaviour support. Five felt unable to meet client expectations; four did not feel their training had prepared them sufficiently. Only one provided dedicated behaviour consultations, the others referred cases. All provided suggestions for behaviour skills needed for new veterinary graduates. The study has afforded an insight into the experiences of a small opportunistic sample of veterinarians. The data indicated important limitations regarding time available in general consultations to discuss behaviour concerns, and practitioner knowledge and skill in detection, anamnesis, assessment and provision of appropriate behaviour information. Suggestions for veterinary training in behaviour are provided.

Prognostic classification with laboratory parameters or imaging techniques in small-cell lung cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Wouter K.; Fidler, Vaclav; Groen, Harry J. M.

PURPOSE: Our aim in this study was to compare prognostic models based on laboratory tests with a model including imaging information in small-cell lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 156 consecutive patients. Three existing models based on laboratory tests

Management and Level of Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus Illinger, 1815 as Display Animal in Indonesia Conservation Institution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulfa Hansyari Ar-Rasyid

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Education and breeding become main reasons for asian small-clawed otter placement as display animal in zoo. Proper management is needed to maintain asian small-clawed otter welfare. This research objectives were to examine and assess asian small-clawed otter welfare in three Indonesia zoos. The study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 in Bandung Zoo, Ragunan Zoo and Ocean Dream Samudra Ancol. The methods of this research were literature review, interview and field observation. Data were analyzed using the suitability of management and animal welfare assessment. The result showed that there were three main management activities conducted at the three study locations, i.e., nutrition, housing, and health management. Bandung Zoo achieved the lowest score of asian small-clawed otter welfare (45,24% compared to Ragunan Zoo (62,24% and Ocean Dream Samudra (65,90%. Asian small-clawed otter welfare in three institutions were relatively low to fair category, this was due to the unfilled quality of food and water i.e.,  the type, amount, feeding frequency, diet and preparing of food; the unavailability of suitable and favorable environmental conditions; the care facilities provided could not ensure the health of animal; the appearance of abnormal behavior that affected the growth and breeding of animal; and animal had no freedom to behave as in their natural habitat. Keywords: animal display, animal welfare, Asian small-clawed otter, zoo 

A new small-animal model for the study of acquired heterotopic ossification after hip surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthonissen, Joris; Ossendorf, Christian; Hock, Johanna Lisa; Ritz, Ulrike; Hofmann, Alexander; Rommens, Pol Maria

2015-01-01

Heterotopic ossification (HO)--the formation of bone in soft tissues--is a frequent problem after surgery of the hip and pelvis, but little is known about its underlying pathogenic mechanisms. It is vital to study the underlying pathogenesis in animal models to develop and evaluate new prophylactic regimens directed against HO. However, previously developed small-animal models for the study of HO imitate neither surgery nor trauma-mechanisms that potentially cause HO. Hence, the goal of this study was to develop a novel small-animal model imitating hip surgery that can reliably produce HO. Twenty male Wistar rats were subjected to surgery of the right hip during which the femoral canal was reamed in three steps up to 2 mm, and a muscle lesion was made. Twelve weeks after surgery, the amount of heterotopic bone was assessed using micro-computed tomography. Eighteen of 20 animals showed HO around the hip 12 weeks after surgery. The amount of heterotopic bone varied from very small particles up to near ankylosis. A rat model of hip/pelvic surgery that does not use exogenous osteogenic stimulus and can reliably produce HO was developed.

Fundamental image quality limits for microcomputed tomography in small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ford, N.L.; Thornton, M.M.; Holdsworth, D.W.

2003-01-01

Small-animal imaging has become increasingly more important as transgenic and knockout mice are produced to model human diseases. One imaging technique that has emerged is microcomputed tomography (micro-CT). For live-animal imaging, the precision in the images will be determined by the x-ray dose given to the animal. As a result, we propose a simple method to predict the noise performance of an x-ray micro-CT system as a function of dose and image resolution. An ideal, quantum-noise limited micro-CT scanner, assumed to have perfect resolution and ideal efficiency, was modeled. Using a simplified model, the coefficient of variation (COV) of the linear attenuation coefficient was calculated for a range of entrance doses and isotropic voxel sizes. COV calculations were performed for the ideal case and with simulated imperfections in efficiency and resolution. Our model was validated in phantom studies and mouse images were acquired with a specimen scanner to illustrate the results. A simplified model of noise propagation in the case of isotropic resolution indicates that the COV in the linear attenuation coefficient is proportional to (dose) -1/2 and to the (isotropic voxel size) -2 in the reconstructed volume. Therefore an improvement in the precision can be achieved only by increasing the isotropic voxel size (thereby decreasing the resolution of the image) or by increasing the x-ray dose. For the ideal scanner, a COV of 1% in the linear attenuation coefficient for an image of a mouse exposed to 0.25 Gy is obtained with a minimum isotropic voxel size of 135 μm. However, the same COV is achieved at a dose of 5.0 Gy with a 65 μm isotropic voxel size. Conversely, for a 68 mm diameter rat, a COV of 1% obtained from an image at 5.0 Gy would require an isotropic voxel size of 100 μm. These results indicate that short-term, potentially lethal, effects of ionizing radiation will limit high-resolution live animal imaging. As improvements in detector technology allow the

The zoonotic potential of Clostridium difficile from small companion animals and their owners.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabold, Denise; Espelage, Werner; Abu Sin, Muna; Eckmanns, Tim; Schneeberg, Alexander; Neubauer, Heinrich; Möbius, Nadine; Hille, Katja; Wieler, Lothar H; Seyboldt, Christian; Lübke-Becker, Antina

2018-01-01

Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in humans range from asymptomatic carriage to life-threatening intestinal disease. Findings on C. difficile in various animal species and an overlap in ribotypes (RTs) suggest potential zoonotic transmission. However, the impact of animals for human CDI remains unclear. In a large-scale survey we collected 1,447 fecal samples to determine the occurrence of C. difficile in small companion animals (dogs and cats) and their owners and to assess potential epidemiological links within the community. The Germany-wide survey was conducted from July 2012-August 2013. PCR ribotyping, Multilocus VNTR Analysis (MLVA) and PCR detection of toxin genes were used to characterize isolated C. difficile strains. A database was defined and logistic regression used to identify putative factors associated with fecal shedding of C. difficile. In total, 1,418 samples met the inclusion criteria. The isolation rates for small companion animals and their owners within the community were similarly low with 3.0% (25/840) and 2.9% (17/578), respectively. PCR ribotyping revealed eight and twelve different RTs in animals and humans, respectively, whereas three RTs were isolated in both, humans and animals. RT 014/0, a well-known human hospital-associated lineage, was predominantly detected in animal samples. Moreover, the potentially highly pathogenic RTs 027 and 078 were isolated from dogs. Even though, C. difficile did not occur simultaneously in animals and humans sharing the same household. The results of the epidemiological analysis of factors associated with fecal shedding of C. difficile support the hypothesis of a zoonotic potential. Molecular characterization and epidemiological analysis revealed that the zoonotic risk for C. difficile associated with dogs and cats within the community is low but cannot be excluded.

Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources

Science.gov (United States)

1992-06-01

special issues: Special Issues on Animal Models in Biomedical Research1 °, New Ra Models of Obesity and Type II Diabetes ", and Pain in Animals and...country of Central and South America, as well as to the Caribbean, and Mexico and published notices in newsletters. Young scientists from Mexico, Peru , and... diabetes ) Kom MowaKi Ph.D, Department of Cell Genetics, National Institute of Genetics, 25 S . . .. ,2

Imaging of lung metastasis tumor mouse model using [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET and CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, June Youp; Woo, Sang Keun; Lee, Tae Sup [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Seoul (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

2007-02-15

The purpose of this study is to image metastaic lung melanoma model with optimal pre-conditions for animal handling by using [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET and clinical CT. The pre-conditions for lung region tumor imaging were 16-22 h fasting and warming temperature at 30 .deg. C. Small animal PET image was obtained at 60 min postinjection of 7.4 MBq [{sup 18}F]FDG and compared pattern of [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake and glucose standard uptake value (SUVG) of lung region between Ketamine/Xylazine (Ke/Xy) and Isoflurane (Iso) anesthetized group in normal mice. Metastasis tumor mouse model to lung was established by intravenous injection of B16-F10 cells in C57BL/6 mice. In lung metastasis tumor model, [{sup 18}F]FDG image was obtained and fused with anatomical clinical CT image. Average blood glucose concentration in normal mice were 128.0 {+-} 22.87 and 86.0 {+-} 21.65 mg/dL in Ke/Xy group and Iso group, respectively. Ke/Xy group showed 1.5 fold higher blood glucose concentration than Iso group. Lung to Background ratio (L/B) in SUVG image was 8.6 {+-} 0.48 and 12.1 {+-}0.63 in Ke/Xy group and Iso group, respectively. In tumor detection in lung region, [{sup 18}F]FDG image of Iso group was better than that of Ke/Xy group, because of high L/B ratio. Metastatic tumor location in [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET image was confirmed by fusion image using clinical CT. Tumor imaging in small animal lung region with [{sup 18}F]FDG small animal PET should be considered pre-conditions which fasting, warming and an anesthesia during [{sup 18}F]FDG uptake. Fused imaging with small animal PET and CT image could be useful for the detection of metastatic tumor in lung region.

Current status and future perspectives of in vivo small animal imaging using radiolabeled nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loudos, George; Kagadis, George C.; Psimadas, Dimitris

2011-01-01

Small animal molecular imaging is a rapidly expanding efficient tool to study biological processes non-invasively. The use of radiolabeled tracers provides non-destructive, imaging information, allowing time related phenomena to be repeatedly studied in a single animal. In the last decade there has been an enormous progress in related technologies and a number of dedicated imaging systems overcome the limitations that the size of small animal possesses. On the other hand, nanoparticles (NPs) gain increased interest, due to their unique properties, which make them perfect candidates for biological applications. Over the past 5 years the two fields seem to cross more and more often; radiolabeled NPs have been assessed in numerous pre-clinical studies that range from oncology, till HIV treatment. In this article the current status in the tools, applications and trends of radiolabeled NPs reviewed.

Nigerian Veterinary Journal The record of J 14small animal trauma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

base for the establishment of protocols for trauma patient care. Trauma cases ranked first and accounted fOT46.3% of all small animal surgical cases presented during the period. Species involvement markedly favoured the canine species. Incidence of trauma was significantly higher (1)<0.05) in males (60.5%) and younger.

Attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia in small animal practice: impacts of age and gender on views on euthanasia

OpenAIRE

Hartnack, Sonja; Springer, Svenja; Pittavino, Marta; Grimm, Herwig

2016-01-01

Background Euthanasia of pets has been described by veterinarians as ?the best and the worst? of the profession. The most commonly mentioned ethical dilemmas veterinarians face in small animal practice are: limited treatment options due to financial constraints, euthanizing of healthy animals and owners wishing to continue treatment of terminally ill animals. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the attitudes of Austrian veterinarians towards euthanasia of small animals. This include...

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Wong, John; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal (‘tubular’ geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal (‘pancake’ geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry

Evaluation of a cone beam computed tomography geometry for image guided small animal irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yidong; Armour, Michael; Wang, Ken Kang-Hsin; Gandhi, Nishant; Iordachita, Iulian; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey; Wong, John

2015-07-07

The conventional imaging geometry for small animal cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is that a detector panel rotates around the head-to-tail axis of an imaged animal ('tubular' geometry). Another unusual but possible imaging geometry is that the detector panel rotates around the anterior-to-posterior axis of the animal ('pancake' geometry). The small animal radiation research platform developed at Johns Hopkins University employs the pancake geometry where a prone-positioned animal is rotated horizontally between an x-ray source and detector panel. This study is to assess the CBCT image quality in the pancake geometry and investigate potential methods for improvement. We compared CBCT images acquired in the pancake geometry with those acquired in the tubular geometry when the phantom/animal was placed upright simulating the conventional CBCT geometry. Results showed signal-to-noise and contrast-to-noise ratios in the pancake geometry were reduced in comparison to the tubular geometry at the same dose level. But the overall spatial resolution within the transverse plane of the imaged cylinder/animal was better in the pancake geometry. A modest exposure increase to two folds in the pancake geometry can improve image quality to a level close to the tubular geometry. Image quality can also be improved by inclining the animal, which reduces streak artifacts caused by bony structures. The major factor resulting in the inferior image quality in the pancake geometry is the elevated beam attenuation along the long axis of the phantom/animal and consequently increased scatter-to-primary ratio in that orientation. Not withstanding, the image quality in the pancake-geometry CBCT is adequate to support image guided animal positioning, while providing unique advantages of non-coplanar and multiple mice irradiation. This study also provides useful knowledge about the image quality in the two very different imaging geometries, i.e. pancake and tubular geometry, respectively.

Validity of bioluminescence measurements for noninvasive in vivo imaging of tumor load in small animals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klerk, Clara P. W.; Overmeer, Renée M.; Niers, Tatjana M. H.; Versteeg, Henri H.; Richel, Dick J.; Buckle, Tessa; van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.; van Tellingen, Olaf

2007-01-01

A relatively new strategy to longitudinally monitor tumor load in intact animals and the effects of therapy is noninvasive bioluminescence imaging (BLI). The validity of BLI for quantitative assessment of tumor load in small animals is critically evaluated in the present review. Cancer cells are

The motivations and methodology for high-throughput PET imaging of small animals in cancer research.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aide, N.; Visser, E.P.; Lheureux, S.; Heutte, N.; Szanda, I.; Hicks, R.J.

2012-01-01

Over the last decade, small-animal PET imaging has become a vital platform technology in cancer research. With the development of molecularly targeted therapies and drug combinations requiring evaluation of different schedules, the number of animals to be imaged within a PET experiment has

Mycotoxin contamination in laboratory rat feeds and their implications in animal research.

Science.gov (United States)

Escrivá, Laura; Font, Guillermina; Berrada, Houda; Manyes, Lara

2016-09-01

Compound feed is particularly vulnerable to multi-mycotoxin contamination. A method for the determination of 12 mycotoxins; enniatins A, A1, B, B1; aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2; OTA; ZEA; T-2 and HT-2 by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and applied for the analysis of laboratory rat commercial feeds. The method trueness was checked by recovery assays at three different spiked levels (n = 9). Recoveries ranged from 73% to 112%, and the intra-day and inter-day precision were lower than 9% and 13%, respectively. Limits of quantitation were lower than 15 μg/kg. Twenty-seven laboratory rats feed samples showed multi-contamination by at least three up to six different mycotoxins. ENNs B and B1, followed by ZEA were the most prevalent mycotoxins. T-2, HT-2, and OTA were not detected. ZEA showed the highest concentration levels reaching 492 μg/kg. The results underline the importance of implementing mycotoxin regular surveillance programs for laboratory animal feeds.

Low relative error in consumer-grade GPS units make them ideal for measuring small-scale animal movement patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg A. Breed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Consumer-grade GPS units are a staple of modern field ecology, but the relatively large error radii reported by manufacturers (up to 10 m ostensibly precludes their utility in measuring fine-scale movement of small animals such as insects. Here we demonstrate that for data collected at fine spatio-temporal scales, these devices can produce exceptionally accurate data on step-length and movement patterns of small animals. With an understanding of the properties of GPS error and how it arises, it is possible, using a simple field protocol, to use consumer grade GPS units to collect step-length data for the movement of small animals that introduces a median error as small as 11 cm. These small error rates were measured in controlled observations of real butterfly movement. Similar conclusions were reached using a ground-truth test track prepared with a field tape and compass and subsequently measured 20 times using the same methodology as the butterfly tracking. Median error in the ground-truth track was slightly higher than the field data, mostly between 20 and 30 cm, but even for the smallest ground-truth step (70 cm, this is still a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and for steps of 3 m or more, the ratio is greater than 10:1. Such small errors relative to the movements being measured make these inexpensive units useful for measuring insect and other small animal movements on small to intermediate scales with budgets orders of magnitude lower than survey-grade units used in past studies. As an additional advantage, these units are simpler to operate, and insect or other small animal trackways can be collected more quickly than either survey-grade units or more traditional ruler/gird approaches.

Ethical dilemmas encountered by small animal veterinarians: characterisation, responses, consequences and beliefs regarding euthanasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kipperman, Barry; Morris, Patricia; Rollin, Bernard

2018-05-12

Small animal veterinarians' opinions were investigated regarding the frequency and nature of ethical dilemmas encountered, beliefs regarding euthanasia and balancing client and animal interests, prevalence and value of ethics training and proposals to mitigate the stressful effects of ethical dilemmas. The majority (52 per cent) of 484 respondents in the USA indicated via an online survey experiencing an ethical dilemma regarding the interests of clients and those of their patients at least weekly. Scenarios involving client financial concerns were commonly reported causes of ethical conflicts. While only 20 per cent of respondents indicated that other practitioners prioritise patient interests, 50 per cent of respondents characterised their own behaviour as prioritising patients. Most respondents (52 per cent) reported that ethical dilemmas are the leading cause, or are one of many equal causes, of work-related stress. Less experienced practitioners, general practitioners and associate veterinarians were more likely to encounter situations they defined as ethical dilemmas, and female respondents were more likely to find ethical dilemmas stressful. Most small animal veterinarians experience ethical dilemmas regularly, which contribute to moral stress. Results suggested that most small animal practitioners believe that greater awareness of moral stress and providing training in ethical theories and tools for coping with ethical dilemmas can ameliorate moral stress. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Small and large animal models in cardiac contraction research: advantages and disadvantages.

Science.gov (United States)

Milani-Nejad, Nima; Janssen, Paul M L

2014-03-01

The mammalian heart is responsible for not only pumping blood throughout the body but also adjusting this pumping activity quickly depending upon sudden changes in the metabolic demands of the body. For the most part, the human heart is capable of performing its duties without complications; however, throughout many decades of use, at some point this system encounters problems. Research into the heart's activities during healthy states and during adverse impacts that occur in disease states is necessary in order to strategize novel treatment options to ultimately prolong and improve patients' lives. Animal models are an important aspect of cardiac research where a variety of cardiac processes and therapeutic targets can be studied. However, there are differences between the heart of a human being and an animal and depending on the specific animal, these differences can become more pronounced and in certain cases limiting. There is no ideal animal model available for cardiac research, the use of each animal model is accompanied with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In this review, we will discuss these advantages and disadvantages of commonly used laboratory animals including mouse, rat, rabbit, canine, swine, and sheep. Since the goal of cardiac research is to enhance our understanding of human health and disease and help improve clinical outcomes, we will also discuss the role of human cardiac tissue in cardiac research. This review will focus on the cardiac ventricular contractile and relaxation kinetics of humans and animal models in order to illustrate these differences. © 2013.

A Good Death? Report of the Second Newcastle Meeting on Laboratory Animal Euthanasia

OpenAIRE

Hawkins, Penny; Prescott, Mark J.; Carbone, Larry; Dennison, Ngaire; Johnson, Craig; Makowska, I. Joanna; Marquardt, Nicole; Readman, Gareth; Weary, Daniel M.; Golledge, Huw D. R.

2016-01-01

Simple Summary Millions of laboratory animals are killed each year worldwide. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding what methods of killing are humane for many species and stages of development. This report summarises research findings and discussions from an international meeting of experts and stakeholders, with recommendations to inform good practice for humane killing of mice, rats and zebrafish. It provides additional guidance and perspectives for researchers designing projects...

Occupational Animal Allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Stave, Gregg M

2018-02-16

This review explores animal allergen exposure in research laboratories and other work settings, focusing on causes and prevention. (1) Consistent with the hygiene hypothesis, there is new evidence that early childhood exposure to pets produces changes in the gut microbiome that likely lead to a lower risk of allergy. (2) Anaphylaxis from laboratory animal bites occurs more frequently than suggested by prior literature. (3) Animal allergens represent an occupational hazard in a wide variety of work settings ranging from fields that work with animals to public settings like schools and public transportation where allergens are brought into or are present in the workplace. Exposure to animal allergens can result in allergy, asthma, and anaphylaxis. Animal allergy has been most studied in the research laboratory setting, where exposure reduction can prevent the development of allergy. Similar prevention approaches need to be considered for other animal work environments and in all settings where animal allergens are present.

SU-E-T-457: Design and Characterization of An Economical 192Ir Hemi-Brain Small Animal Irradiator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grams, M; Wilson, Z; Sio, T; Beltran, C; Tryggestad, E; Gupta, S; Blackwell, C; McCollough, K; Sarkaria, J; Furutani, K

2014-01-01

Purpose: To describe the design and dosimetric characterization of a simple and economical small animal irradiator. Methods: A high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy source from a commercially available afterloader was used with a 1.3 centimeter thick tungsten collimator to provide sharp beam penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. The unit is equipped with continuous gas anesthesia to allow robust animal immobilization. Dosimetric characterization of the device was performed with Gafchromic film. The penumbra from the small animal irradiator was compared under similar collimating conditions to the penumbra from 6 MV photons, 6 MeV electrons, and 20 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator as well as 300 kVp photons from an orthovoltage unit and Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV protons. Results: The tungsten collimator provides a sharp penumbra suitable for hemi-brain irradiation, and dose rates on the order of 200 cGy/minute were achieved. The sharpness of the penumbra attainable with this device compares favorably to those measured experimentally for 6 MV photons, and 6 and 20 MeV electron beams from a linear accelerator. Additionally, the penumbra was comparable to those measured for a 300 kVp orthovoltage beam and a Monte Carlo simulated 90 MeV proton beam. Conclusions: The small animal irradiator described here can be built for under $1,000 and used in conjunction with any commercial brachytherapy afterloader to provide a convenient and cost-effective option for small animal irradiation experiments. The unit offers high dose rate delivery and sharp penumbra, which is ideal for hemi-brain irradiation of mice. With slight modifications to the design, irradiation of sites other than the brain could be accomplished easily. Due to its simplicity and low cost, the apparatus described is an attractive alternative for small animal irradiation experiments requiring a sharp penumbra

An application of a new planar positron imaging system (PPIS) in a small animal. MPTP-induced parkinsonism in mouse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Hiroyuki; Noda, Akihiro; Kakiuchi, Takeharu

2004-01-01

Recent animal PET research has led to the development of PET scanners for small animals. A planar positron imaging system (PPIS) was newly developed to study physiological function in small animals and plants in recent years. To examine the usefulness of PPIS for functional study in small animals, we examined dopaminergic images of mouse striata in MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Male C57BL/6NCrj mice were treated with MPTP 7 days before the PPIS study. Scans were performed to measure dopamine D 1 receptor binding and dopamine transporter availability with [ 11 C]SCH23390 (about 2 MBq) and [ 11 C]β-CFT (about 2 MBq), respectively. After the PPIS study, dopamine content in the striatum was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The MPTP treatment significantly reduced dopamine content in the striatum 7 days after treatment. In the MPTP-treated group, [ 11 C]β-CFT binding in the striatum was significantly decreased compared with the control group, while striatal [ 11 C]SCH23390 binding was not affected. Dopamine content in the striatum was significantly correlated with the striatal binding of [ 11 C]β-CFT. The present results suggest that PPIS is able to determine brain function in a small animal. Using PPIS, high throughput imaging of small animal brain functions could be achieved. (author)

Report on first certificate course on applied physiology of pain, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia for laboratory animals held in Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunatilake, Mangala

2018-06-01

Similar to human beings, pain is an unpleasant sensation experienced by animals as well. There is no exception when the animals are subjected to experimental procedures. Our duty as researchers/scientists is to prevent or minimize the pain in animals so as to lessen their suffering and distress during experimental procedures. The basics of the physiology of pain and pain perception, analgesia, anesthesia, and euthanasia of laboratory animals were included to complete the program, before the practical part was attempted and before advanced topics, such as comparison of anesthetic combinations, were discussed. Therefore, this course was organized in Sri Lanka for the first time in collaboration with the Comparative Biology Centre of Newcastle University, UK. During this course, we were able to demonstrate how an anesthesia machine could be used in laboratory animal anesthesia for the first time in the country. None of the animal houses in the country were equipped with an anesthesia machine at the time of conducting the course.

Collimator optimization for small animal radiation therapy at a micro-CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felix, Manuela C. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Glatting, Gerhard [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Medical Radiation Physics/Radiation Protection; Giordano, Frank A.; Wenz, Frederik; Fleckenstein, Jens [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Brockmann, Marc A. [Heidelberg Univ., Mannheim (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology; University Medical Center Mainz (Germany). Dept. of Neuroradiology

2017-05-01

In radiation therapy of small animals treatment depths range from a few millimetres to several centimetres. In order to spare surrounding organs at risk steep dose gradients are necessary. To minimize the treatment time, and therefore the strain to the animals, a high dose rate is required. A description how these parameters can be optimized through an appropriate choice of collimators with different source surface distances (SSD) as well as different materials and geometries is presented. An industrial micro-CT unit (Y.Fox, YXLON GmbH, Hamburg, Germany) was converted into a precision irradiator for small animals. Different collimators of either stainless steel (Fe) with cylindrical bores (SSD = 42 mm) or tungsten (W) with conical bores (SSD = 14 mm) were evaluated. The dosimetry of very small radiation fields presents a challenge and was performed with GafChromic EBT3 films (Ashland, Vayne, KY, USA) in a water phantom. The films were calibrated with an ionization chamber in the uncollimated field. Treatments were performed via a rotation of the objects with a fixed radiation source. As expected, the shorter SSD of the W-collimators resulted in a (4.5 ± 1.6)-fold increase of the dose rates compared to the corresponding Fe-collimators. The ratios of the dose rates at 1 mm and 10 mm depth in the water phantom was (2.6 ± 0.2) for the Fe- and (4.5 ± 0.1) for the W-collimators. For rotational treatments in a cylindrical plastic phantom maximum dose rates of up to 1.2 Gy/min for Fe- and 5.1 Gy/min for W-collimators were measured. Choosing the smallest possible SSD leads to a high dose rate and a high surface dose, which is of advantage for the treatment of superficial target volumes. For larger SSD the dose rate is lower and the depth dose curve is shallower. This leads to a reduction of the surface dose and is best suited for treatments of deeper seated target volumes. Divergent collimator bores have, due to the reduced scatter within the collimators, a steeper

Anesthesia condition for 18F-FDG imaging of lung metastasis tumors using small animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Sang-Keun; Lee, Tae Sup; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kim, June-Youp; Jung, Jae Ho; Kang, Joo Hyun; Cheon, Gi Jeong; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo

2008-01-01

Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) with 18 F-FDG has been increasingly used for tumor imaging in the murine model. The aim of this study was to establish the anesthesia condition for imaging of lung metastasis tumor using small animal 18 F-FDG PET. Methods: To determine the impact of anesthesia on 18 F-FDG distribution in normal mice, five groups were studied under the following conditions: no anesthesia, ketamine and xylazine (Ke/Xy), 0.5% isoflurane (Iso 0.5), 1% isoflurane (Iso 1) and 2% isoflurane (Iso 2). The ex vivo counting, standard uptake value (SUV) image and glucose SUV of 18 F-FDG in various tissues were evaluated. The 18 F-FDG images in the lung metastasis tumor model were obtained under no anesthesia, Ke/Xy and Iso 0.5, and registered with CT image to clarify the tumor region. Results: Blood glucose concentration and muscle uptake of 18 F-FDG in the Ke/Xy group markedly increased more than in the other groups. The Iso 2 group increased 18 F-FDG uptake in heart compared with the other groups. The Iso 0.5 anesthesized group showed the lowest 18 F-FDG uptake in heart and chest wall. The small size of lung metastasis tumor (2 mm) was clearly visualized by 18 F-FDG image with the Iso 0.5 anesthesia. Conclusion: Small animal 18 F-FDG PET imaging with Iso 0.5 anesthesia was appropriate for the detection of lung metastasis tumor. To acquire 18 F-FDG PET images with small animal PET, the type and level of anesthetic should be carefully considered to be suitable for the visualization of target tissue in the experimental model

Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, A Colello; Mazaro, S J; Amaral, L L; Rego, E M; Oliveira, H F; Pavoni, J F

2017-03-02

This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current), the radiometric survey (leakage radiation) and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1) and remained stable for long (constant) and short (repeatability) intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer). The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators) for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

Biological X-ray irradiator characterization for use with small animals and cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Colello Bruno

Full Text Available This study presents the characterization of an X-ray irradiator through dosimetric tests, which confirms the actual dose rate that small animals and cells will be exposed to during radiobiological experiments. We evaluated the linearity, consistency, repeatability, and dose distribution in the positions in which the animals or cells are placed during irradiation. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the X-ray tube (voltage and tube operating current, the radiometric survey (leakage radiation and safety devices. The irradiator default setting was established as 160 kV and 25 mA. Tests showed that the dose rate was linear overtime (R2=1 and remained stable for long (constant and short (repeatability intervals between readings. The mean dose rate inside the animal cages was 1.27±0.06 Gy/min with a uniform beam of 95.40% (above the minimum threshold guaranteed by the manufacturer. The mean dose rate inside the cell plates was 0.92±0.19 Gy/min. The dose rate dependence with tube voltage and current presented a quadratic and linear relationship, respectively. There was no observed mechanical failure during evaluation of the irradiator safety devices and the radiometric survey obtained a maximum ambient equivalent dose rate of 0.26 mSv/h, which exempts it from the radiological protection requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The irradiator characterization enables us to perform radiobiological experiments, and assists or even replaces traditional therapy equipment (e.g., linear accelerators for cells and small animal irradiation, especially in early research stages.

Dynamic studies of small animals with a four-color diffuse optical tomography imager

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitz, Christoph H.; Graber, Harry L.; Pei Yaling; Farber, Mark; Stewart, Mark; Levina, Rita D.; Levin, Mikhail B.; Xu Yong; Barbour, Randall L.

2005-01-01

We present newly developed instrumentation for full-tomographic four-wavelength, continuous wave, diffuse optical tomography (DOT) imaging on small animals. A small-animal imaging stage was constructed, from materials compatible with in-magnet studies, which offers stereotaxic fixation of the animal and precise, stable probe positioning. Instrument performance, based on calibration and phantom studies, demonstrates excellent long-term signal stability. DOT measurements of the functional rat brain response to electric paw stimulation are presented, and these demonstrate high data quality and excellent sensitivity to hemodynamic changes. A general linear model analysis on individual trials is used to localize and quantify the occurrence of functional behavior associated with the different hemoglobin state responses. Statistical evaluation of outcomes of individual trials is employed to identify significant regional response variations for different stimulation sites. Image results reveal a diffuse cortical response and a strong reaction of the thalamus, both indicative of activation of pain pathways by the stimulation. In addition, a weaker lateralized functional component is observed in the brain response, suggesting presence of motor activation. An important outcome of the experiment is that it shows that reactions to individual provocations can be monitored, without having to resort to signal averaging. Thus the described technology may be useful for studies of long-term trends in hemodynamic response, as would occur, for example, in behavioral studies involving freely moving animals

A 3D HIDAC-PET camera with sub-millimeter resolution for imaging small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeavons, A.P.; Chandler, R.A.; Dettmar, C.A.R.

1999-01-01

A HIDAC-PET camera consisting essentially of 5 million 0.5 mm gas avalanching detectors has been constructed for small-animal imaging. The particular HIDAC advantage--a high 3D spatial resolution--has been improved to 0.95 mm fwhm and to 0.7 mm fwhm when reconstructing with 3D-OSEM methods incorporating resolution recovery. A depth-of-interaction resolution of 2.5 mm is implicit, due to the laminar construction. Scatter-corrected sensitivity, at 8.9 cps/kBq (i.e. 0.9%) from a central point source, or 7.2 cps/kBq (543 cps/kBq/cm 3 ) from a distributed (40 mm diameter, 60 mm long) source is now much higher than previous, and other, work. A field-of-view of 100 mm (adjustable to 200 mm) diameter by 210 mm axially permits whole-body imaging of small animals, containing typically 4MBqs of activity, at 40 kcps of which 16% are random coincidences, with a typical scatter fraction of 44%. Throughout the field-of-view there are no positional distortions and relative quantitation is uniform to ± 3.5%, but some variation of spatial resolution is found. The performance demonstrates that HIDAC technology is quite appropriate for small-animal PET cameras

Scalable electrophysiology in intact small animals with nanoscale suspended electrode arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, Daniel L.; Badhiwala, Krishna N.; Vercosa, Daniel G.; Avants, Benjamin W.; Liu, Zheng; Zhong, Weiwei; Robinson, Jacob T.

2017-07-01

Electrical measurements from large populations of animals would help reveal fundamental properties of the nervous system and neurological diseases. Small invertebrates are ideal for these large-scale studies; however, patch-clamp electrophysiology in microscopic animals typically requires invasive dissections and is low-throughput. To overcome these limitations, we present nano-SPEARs: suspended electrodes integrated into a scalable microfluidic device. Using this technology, we have made the first extracellular recordings of body-wall muscle electrophysiology inside an intact roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans. We can also use nano-SPEARs to record from multiple animals in parallel and even from other species, such as Hydra littoralis. Furthermore, we use nano-SPEARs to establish the first electrophysiological phenotypes for C. elegans models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, and show a partial rescue of the Parkinson's phenotype through drug treatment. These results demonstrate that nano-SPEARs provide the core technology for microchips that enable scalable, in vivo studies of neurobiology and neurological diseases.

9.4 T small animal MRI using clinical components for direct translational studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Felder, Jörg; Celik, A Avdo; Choi, Chang-Hoon; Schwan, Stefan; Shah, N Jon

2017-12-28

Magnetic resonance is a major preclinical and clinical imaging modality ideally suited for longitudinal studies, e.g. in pharmacological developments. The lack of a proven platform that maintains an identical imaging protocol between preclinical and clinical platforms is solved with the construction of an animal scanner based on clinical hard- and software. A small animal magnet and gradient system were connected to a clinical MR system. Several hardware components were either modified or built in-house to achieve compatibility. The clinical software was modified to account for the different field-of-view of a preclinical MR system. The established scanner was evaluated using clinical QA protocols, and platform compatibility for translational research was verified against clinical scanners of different field strength. The constructed animal scanner operates with the majority of clinical imaging sequences. Translational research is greatly facilitated as protocols can be shared between preclinical and clinical platforms. Hence, when maintaining sequences parameters, maximum similarity between pulses played out on a human or an animal system is maintained. Coupling of a small animal magnet with a clinical MR system is a flexible, easy to use way to establish and advance translational imaging capability. It provides cost and labor efficient translational capability as no tedious sequence reprogramming between moieties is required and cross-platform compatibility of sequences facilitates multi-center studies.

Guidelines for safe work practices in human and animal medical diagnostic laboratories. Recommendations of a CDC-convened, Biosafety Blue Ribbon Panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, J Michael; Astles, Rex; Baszler, Timothy; Chapin, Kimberle; Carey, Roberta; Garcia, Lynne; Gray, Larry; Larone, Davise; Pentella, Michael; Pollock, Anne; Shapiro, Daniel S; Weirich, Elizabeth; Wiedbrauk, Danny

2012-01-06

Prevention of injuries and occupational infections in U.S. laboratories has been a concern for many years. CDC and the National Institutes of Health addressed the topic in their publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, now in its 5th edition (BMBL-5). BMBL-5, however, was not designed to address the day-to-day operations of diagnostic laboratories in human and animal medicine. In 2008, CDC convened a Blue Ribbon Panel of laboratory representatives from a variety of agencies, laboratory organizations, and facilities to review laboratory biosafety in diagnostic laboratories. The members of this panel recommended that biosafety guidelines be developed to address the unique operational needs of the diagnostic laboratory community and that they be science based and made available broadly. These guidelines promote a culture of safety and include recommendations that supplement BMBL-5 by addressing the unique needs of the diagnostic laboratory. They are not requirements but recommendations that represent current science and sound judgment that can foster a safe working environment for all laboratorians. Throughout these guidelines, quality laboratory science is reinforced by a common-sense approach to biosafety in day-to-day activities. Because many of the same diagnostic techniques are used in human and animal diagnostic laboratories, the text is presented with this in mind. All functions of the human and animal diagnostic laboratory--microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and pathology with autopsy and necropsy guidance--are addressed. A specific section for veterinary diagnostic laboratories addresses the veterinary issues not shared by other human laboratory departments. Recommendations for all laboratories include use of Class IIA2 biological safety cabinets that are inspected annually; frequent hand washing; use of appropriate disinfectants, including 1:10 dilutions of household bleach; dependence on risk assessments for many activities

Evaluation of photon-absorptiometry for determination of bone mineral content in experimental animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasznai, I.; Szathmary, M.; Horvath, Cs.; Hollo, G.; Fabu, G.

1994-01-01

Instruments commonly used for determination of bone mineral content in human were evaluated for their use in small laboratory animals. By measuring bone phantoms and rat femurs in vitro, authors found 0.015 and 0.034 g/cm sensitivity for (SPA) and (DEXA) methods, respectively. High reproducibility was obtained, with values of relative standard deviations being <2 and approximately 4% for SPA and DEXA, respectively. Both techniques were found suitable for determination of bone mineral content of laboratory animals, but DEXA is suggested as the preferred method for evaluations under in vivo circumstances. (N.T.)

Induction and analysis of antigen-specific T cell responses in melanoma patients and animal models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bins, Adriaan Dirk

2007-01-01

This thesis introduces a novel T cell vaccination method that uses a tattoo machine to inject DNA in the skin of the vaccinee. In comparison to other experimental vaccination methods DNA tattooing is very strong: besides small laboratory animals also large animals mount strong T cell responses upon

In vivo fluorescence enhanced optical tomography reconstruction of lung cancer of non immersed small animals

Science.gov (United States)

Hervé, L.; Koenig, A.; Da Silva, A.; Berger, M.; Boutet, J.; Dinten, J. M.; Peltié, P.; Rizo, P.

2007-02-01

Fluorescence enhanced diffuse optical tomography (fDOT) is envisioned to be useful to collect functional information from small animal models. For oncology applications, cancer-targeted fluorescent markers can be used as a surrogate of the cancer activity. We are developing a continuous wave fDOT bench intended to be integrated in systems dedicated to whole body small animal fluorescence analyses. The focus is currently put on the reconstruction of non immersed small animals imaged by a CCD camera. The reconstruction stage already corrects the tissue heterogeneity artifacts through the computation of an optical heterogeneity map. We will show how this formalism coupled with the determination of the animal boundaries performed by a laser scanner, can be used to manage non contact acquisitions. The time of reconstruction for a 10 × 9 laser source positions, 45 × 40 detector elements and 14 × 11 × 14 mesh voxels is typically 10 minutes on a 3GHz PCs corresponding to the acquisition time allowing the two tasks to be performed in parallel. The system is validated on an in vivo experiment performed on three healthy nude mice and a mouse bearing a lung tumor at 10, 12 and 14 days after implantation allowing the follow up of the disease. The 3D fluorescence reconstructions of this mouse are presented and the total fluorescence amounts are compared.

[Animal experimentation, animal welfare and scientific research].

Science.gov (United States)

Tal, H

2013-10-01

Hundreds of thousands of laboratory animals are being used every year for scientific experiments held in Israel, mostly mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and a few sheep, cattle, pigs, cats, dogs, and even a few dozen monkeys. In addition to the animals sacrificed to promote scientific research, millions of animals slain every year for other purposes such as meat and fine leather fashion industries. While opening a front against all is an impossible and perhaps an unjustified task, the state of Israel enacted the Animal Welfare (Animal Experimentation) Law (1994). The law aims to regulate scientific animal experiments and to find the appropriate balance between the need to continue to perform animal experiments for the advancement of research and medicine, and at the same time to avoid unnecessary trials and minimize animal suffering. Among other issues the law deals with the phylogenetic scale according to which experimental animals should be selected, experiments for teaching and practicing, and experiments for the cosmetic industry. This article discusses bioethics considerations in animal experiments as well as the criticism on the scientific validity of such experiments. It further deals with the vitality of animal studies and the moral and legal obligation to prevent suffering from laboratory animals.

A small animal holding fixture system with positional reproducibility for longitudinal multimodal imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokuryo, Daisuke; Kimura, Yuichi; Obata, Takayuki; Yamaya, Taiga; Kawamura, Kazunori; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Kanno, Iwao; Aoki, Ichio, E-mail: ukimura@ieee.or [Molecular Imaging Center, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba 263-8555 (Japan)

2010-07-21

This study presents a combined small animal holding fixture system, termed a 'bridge capsule', which provides for small animal re-fixation with positional reproducibility. This system comprises separate holding fixtures for the head and lower body and a connecting part to a gas anesthesia system. A mouse is fixed in place by the combination of a head fixture with a movable part made from polyacetal resin, a lower body fixture made from vinyl-silicone and a holder for the legs and tail. For re-fixation, a similar posture could be maintained by the same holding fixtures and a constant distance between the head and lower body fixtures is maintained. Artifacts caused by the bridge capsule system were not observed on magnetic resonance (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) images. The average position differences of the spinal column and the iliac body before and after re-fixation for the same modality were approximately 1.1 mm. The difference between the MRI and PET images was approximately 1.8 mm for the lower body fixture after image registration using fiducial markers. This system would be useful for longitudinal, repeated and multimodal imaging experiments requiring similar animal postures.

[Role of helminth antigens in the abnormal mitosis of bone marrow cells in laboratory animals].

Science.gov (United States)

Sivkova, T N; Tatarnikova, N A; Berezhko, V K; Benediktov, I I

2013-01-01

The intraabdominal administration of somatic extracts of the cestodes Hydatigera taeniaformis Batsch 1786, Lamarck, 1816 and Diphyllobothrium latum Linnaeus, 1758 and the nematodes Anisakis simplex larva Rudolphi 1809, Toxocara canis Railliet et Henry, 1912 in albino mice proved that these helminths had a karyopathic effect on the bone marrow cells of the animals. The antigenic composition of these extracts was investigated using the agar gel immunodiffusion test. The antigenic composition of the parasites was ascertained to affect their karyopathic properties. The amount of antigens and their foreignness caused a marked karyopathic effect on the bone marrow cells of laboratory animals during intraabdominal administration.

Neurological examination in small animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viktor Paluš

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This clinical review about the neurological examination in small animals describes the basics about the first steps of investigation when dealing with neurological patients. The knowledge of how to perform the neurological examination is important however more important is how to correctly interpret these performed tests. A step-by-step approach is mandatory and examiners should master the order and the style of performing these tests. Neurological conditions can be sometimes very distressing for owners and for pets that might not be the most cooperating. The role of a veterinary surgeon, as a professional, is therefore to collect the most relevant history, to examine a patient in a professional manner and to give to owners an educated opinion about the further treatment and prognosis. However neurological examinations might look challenging for many. But it is only the clinical application of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology to an every-day situation for practicing veterinarians and it does not require any specific in-to-depth knowledge. This clinical review is aimed not only to provide the information on how to perform the neurological examination but it is also aimed to appeal on veterinarians to challenge their daily routine and to start practicing on neurologically normal patients. This is the best and only way to differentiate between the normal and abnormal in a real situation.

Snack foods and dental caries. Investigations using laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenby, T H

1990-05-05

The nation's eating habits are undergoing major transformation, with a swing away from traditional meals to a huge increase in snack consumption, but very little is known of the nutritional and dental implications of this change. The research project reported here evaluated a range of snack foods in caries-active laboratory animals, comparing them, as dietary ingredients, with noncariogenic and cariogenic (sugar) diets. The findings showed the very low cariogenicity of salted peanuts, followed by ready-salted and salt and vinegar crisps, extruded maize, mixed-starch and prefabricated/fried potato products, and cheese-filled puffs. Other varieties of crisps (cheese and onion and special shapes) proved to be more cariogenic, not far short of semi-sweet biscuits in some cases. It is concluded that the severity of the processing undergone by the snack foods and the nature of the flavouring agents with which they are coated can influence their dental properties.

2002 Small Mammal Inventory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Site 300

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

West, E; Woollett, J

2004-11-16

To assist the University of California in obtaining biological assessment information for the ''2004 Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)'', Jones & Stokes conducted an inventory of small mammals in six major vegetation communities at Site 300. These communities were annual grassland, native grassland, oak savanna, riparian corridor, coastal scrub, and seep/spring wetlands. The principal objective of this study was to assess the diversity and abundance of small mammal species in these communities, as well as the current status of any special-status small mammal species found in these communities. Surveys in the native grassland community were conducted before and after a controlled fire management burn of the grasslands to qualitatively evaluate any potential effects of fire on small mammals in the area.

A Good Death? Report of the Second Newcastle Meeting on Laboratory Animal Euthanasia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penny Hawkins

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Millions of laboratory animals are killed each year worldwide. There is an ethical, and in many countries also a legal, imperative to ensure those deaths cause minimal suffering. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding what methods of killing are humane for many species and stages of development. In 2013, an international group of researchers and stakeholders met at Newcastle University, United Kingdom to discuss the latest research and which methods could currently be considered most humane for the most commonly used laboratory species (mice, rats and zebrafish. They also discussed factors to consider when making decisions about appropriate techniques for particular species and projects, and priorities for further research. This report summarises the research findings and discussions, with recommendations to help inform good practice for humane killing.

Using ground penetrating radar in levee assessment to detect small scale animal burrows

Science.gov (United States)

Chlaib, Hussein K.; Mahdi, Hanan; Al-Shukri, Haydar; Su, Mehmet M.; Catakli, Aycan; Abd, Najah

2014-04-01

Levees are civil engineering structures built to protect human lives, property, and agricultural lands during flood events. To keep these important structures in a safe condition, continuous monitoring must be performed regularly and thoroughly. Small rodent burrows are one of the major defects within levees; however, their early detection and repair helps in protecting levees during flooding events. A set of laboratory experiments was conducted to analyze the polarity change in GPR signals in the presence of subsurface voids and water-filled cavities. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys using multi frequency antennas (400 MHz and 900 MHz) were conducted along an 875 meter section of the Lollie Levee near Conway, Arkansas, USA, to assess the levee's structural integrity. Many subsurface animal burrows, water-filled cavities, clay clasts, and metallic objects were investigated and identified. These anomalies were located at different depths and have different sizes. To ground truth the observations, hand dug trenches were excavated to confirm several anomalies. Results show an excellent match between GPR interpreted anomalies and the observed features. In-situ dielectric constant measurements were used to calculate the feature depths. The results of this research show that the 900 MHz antenna has more advantages over the 400 MHz antenna.

Automated analysis of small animal PET studies through deformable registration to an atlas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gutierrez, Daniel F.; Zaidi, Habib

This work aims to develop a methodology for automated atlas-guided analysis of small animal positron emission tomography (PET) data through deformable registration to an anatomical mouse model. A non-rigid registration technique is used to put into correspondence relevant anatomical regions of

Pain control in small animalsControle da dor em pequenos animais

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Duarte Penter

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Pain is an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience that follows the application of a noxious stimulus. Can be experienced with or without the concomitant occurrence of physical stress signs, which occurs frequently in animals caused by trauma, systemic disease or surgical procedures. The control depends on length, where there are painful impulses and mental status of the animal. It is an important clinical condition, resulting in suffer that will affect quality life. This paper is a review of pathophysiology and pain control in small animals.A dor é uma experiência sensorial ou emocional desagradável que se segue à aplicação de um estímulo nocivo. Pode ser vivenciada com ou sem o acontecimento concomitante de sinais físicos de estresse, trauma, doença sistêmica ou procedimento cirúrgico. Seu controle depende de sua duração, de onde surgem os impulsos dolorosos e do estado de consciência do animal. É uma condição clinicamente importante, que resulta em sofrimento e afeta a qualidade de vida dos animais. O objetivo deste trabalho é a revisão da fisiopatologia e controle da dor em pequenos animais.

Effect of (OPC) oligomeric pronthocyanidine extracted of grape seed on chromosomal aberrations for Tc 99m sulfur colloid in laboratory animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alwan, I. F.; Ahmed, A.M.; Mohamad, H. A.

2012-12-01

The aims study to assess the protective material (OPC) oligomeric pronthocyanidine grape seed extract, to decrease the effect of Technetium 99 m radiation used in on the (Chromosomal Aberration) in the genes for bone marrow in laboratory animals. Been diagnosed by a composite (OPC) optical spectrometer (UV.vis) to determine the wavelength of the compound, for the purpose of examination and analysis by a high-purity HPLC to determine the components of grape seed extract. Has been handing laboratory animals, grape seed extract material (OPC) at a dose (150 mg/kg) for two weeks and then were injected to the solution of sulfur colloidal label with Tc 99 m doses of radiation to the following quantity (400 u ci, 250 u ci, 150 u ci / 0.1 m1). The treated animals by extract (OPC) showed decrease in the proportion of chromosomal changes resulting from the impact of injection differences dose compared to animals injected to the same radiation dose and non treated animal with (OPC). The result indicated there are significant differences (p>0.05) at the level of changes in chromosomal in genes of animals untreated compared with the group of animals treated with (OPC) and injected with the same radiation dose compared a control animal group. (Author)

Small animal positron emission tomography imaging and in vivo studies of atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hag, Anne Mette Fisker; Ripa, Rasmus Sejersten; Pedersen, Sune Folke

2013-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a growing health challenge globally, and despite our knowledge of the disease has increased over the last couple of decades, many unanswered questions remain. As molecular imaging can be used to visualize, characterize and measure biological processes at the molecular and cellu...... knowledge obtained from in vivo positron emission tomography studies of atherosclerosis performed in small animals....

Improving the reliability of GUB-20000 gamma unit for large laboratory animals irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Videnskij, V.G.

1994-01-01

GUB-20000 gamma unit for large laboratory animals irradiation is described and results of investigation into its reliability improvement are considered. Cables of superstrength high-modular (SSHM) polymer fibre and capron fiber were tested to establish their applicability in the above unit. Samples were exposed to gamma-radiation and fast electrons and were tested for tensile properties. Application of SSHM-fiber cables to modernize the GUB-20000 unit was found to be perspective due to superhigh radiation strength. 5 refs., 1 tab

The Combination of In vivo 124I-PET and CT Small Animal Imaging for Evaluation of Thyroid Physiology and Dosimetry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik H. El-Ali

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: A thyroid rat model combining functional and anatomical information would be of great benefit for better modeling of thyroid physiology and for absorbed dose calculations. Our aim was to show that 124I-PET and CT small animal imaging are useful as a combined model for studying thyroid physiology and dose calculation. Methods: Seven rats were subjects for multiple thyroid 124I-imaging and CT-scans. S-values [mGy/MBqs] for different thyroid sizes were simulated. A phantom with spheres was designed for validation of performances of the small animal PET and CT imaging systems. Results: Small animal image-based measurements of the activity amount and the volumes of the spheres with a priori known volumes showed a good agreement with their corresponding actual volumes. The CT scans of the rats showed thyroid volumes from 34–70 mL. Conclusions: The wide span in volumes of thyroid glands indicates the importance of using an accurate volume-measuring technique such as the small animal CT. The small animal PET system was on the other hand able to accurately estimate the activity concentration in the thyroid volumes. We conclude that the combination of the PET and CT image information is essential for quantitative thyroid imaging and accurate thyroid absorbed dose calculation.

Optical calibration protocol for an x-ray and optical multimodality tomography system dedicated to small-animal examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Da Silva, Anabela; Leabad, Mehdi; Driol, Clemence; Bordy, Thomas; Debourdeau, Mathieu; Dinten, Jean-Marc; Peltie, Philippe; Rizo, Philippe

2009-01-01

A small-animal multimodality tomography system dedicated to the coregistration of fluorescence optical signal and x-ray measurements has been developed in our laboratory. The purpose of such a system is to offer the possibility of getting in vivo anatomical and functional information simultaneously. Moreover, anatomical measurements can be used as a regularization factor to achieve more accurate reconstructions of the biodistribution of fluorochromes and to speed up treatment. A dedicated acquisition protocol has been established, and the methodology of the reconstruction of the three-dimensional distribution of the biomarkers under cylindrical geometry consistent with classic computed tomography has been implemented. A phantom study was conducted to evaluate and to fix the parameters for the coregistration. These test experiments were reproduced by considering anesthetized mice that had thin glass tubes containing fluorochromes inserted into their esophagus. The instrument is also used for an in vivo biological study conducted on mice with lung tumors, tagged with near-infrared optical probes (targeting probes such as Transferin-AlexaFluor750)

STTARR: a radiation treatment and multi-modal imaging facility for fast tracking novel agent development in small animal models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yeung, Ivan; McKee, Trevor; Jaffray, David; Hill, Richard

2014-01-01

Small animal models play a pivotal role in the pipeline development of novel agents and strategies in personalized cancer therapy. The Spatio-Temporal Targeting and Amplification of Radiation Response Program (STTARR) consists of an animal imaging and precision radiation facility designed to provide innovative biologic imaging and targeted radiation treatment strategies in small animals. The design is to mirror the imaging and radiation treatment facility in a modern cancer center. The STTARR features imaging equipment of small animal scale including CT, MRI, PET, SPECT, Optical devices as well as image guided irradiators. The fleet of imaging and irradiation equipment provides a platform for identification of biological targets of the specific molecular pathways that influence both tumor progression and a patient's response to radiation therapy. Examples will be given in the utilization of the imaging facilities for development in novel approaches in cancer therapy including a PET-FAZA study for hypoxia measurement in a pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenograft model. In addition, the cone-beam image guided small animal irradiator developed at our institute will also be described. The animal platform (couch) provides motion in 3 dimensions to position the animal to the isocentre of the beam. A pair of rotational arms supporting the X-ray/detector pair enables acquisition of cone-beam images of the animal which give rise to image guided precision of 0.5 mm. The irradiation energy ranges from 50 to 225 kVp at a dose rate from 10-400 cGy/min. The gantry is able to direct X-ray beam of different directions to give conformal radiation treatment to the animal. A dedicated treatment planning system is able to perform treatment planning and provide commonly used clinical metrics in the animal treatment plan. Examples will be given to highlight the use of the image guided irradiator for research of drug/irradiation regimen in animal models. (author)

Anesthesia condition for {sup 18}F-FDG imaging of lung metastasis tumors using small animal PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woo, Sang-Keun; Lee, Tae Sup; Kim, Kyeong Min; Kim, June-Youp; Jung, Jae Ho; Kang, Joo Hyun [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Cheon, Gi Jeong [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: larry@kcch.re.kr; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo [Division of Nuclear Medicine and RI Application, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Nuclear Medicine, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS), Nowon-Gu, Seoul 139-706 (Korea, Republic of)

2008-01-15

Small animal positron emission tomography (PET) with {sup 18}F-FDG has been increasingly used for tumor imaging in the murine model. The aim of this study was to establish the anesthesia condition for imaging of lung metastasis tumor using small animal {sup 18}F-FDG PET. Methods: To determine the impact of anesthesia on {sup 18}F-FDG distribution in normal mice, five groups were studied under the following conditions: no anesthesia, ketamine and xylazine (Ke/Xy), 0.5% isoflurane (Iso 0.5), 1% isoflurane (Iso 1) and 2% isoflurane (Iso 2). The ex vivo counting, standard uptake value (SUV) image and glucose SUV of {sup 18}F-FDG in various tissues were evaluated. The {sup 18}F-FDG images in the lung metastasis tumor model were obtained under no anesthesia, Ke/Xy and Iso 0.5, and registered with CT image to clarify the tumor region. Results: Blood glucose concentration and muscle uptake of {sup 18}F-FDG in the Ke/Xy group markedly increased more than in the other groups. The Iso 2 group increased {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in heart compared with the other groups. The Iso 0.5 anesthesized group showed the lowest {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in heart and chest wall. The small size of lung metastasis tumor (2 mm) was clearly visualized by {sup 18}F-FDG image with the Iso 0.5 anesthesia. Conclusion: Small animal {sup 18}F-FDG PET imaging with Iso 0.5 anesthesia was appropriate for the detection of lung metastasis tumor. To acquire {sup 18}F-FDG PET images with small animal PET, the type and level of anesthetic should be carefully considered to be suitable for the visualization of target tissue in the experimental model.

Advances in SPECT Instrumentation (Including Small Animal Scanners). Chapter 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Domenico, G.; Zavattini, G.

2009-01-01

Fundamental major efforts have been devoted to the development of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging modality over the last few decades. Recently, a novel surge of interest in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) technology has occurred, particularly after the introduction of the hybrid SPECT-CT imaging system. This has led to a flourishing of investigations in new types of detectors and collimators, and to more accurate refinement of reconstruction algorithms. Along with SPECT-CT, new, fast gamma cameras have been developed for dedicated cardiac imaging. The existing gap between PET and SPECT in sensitivity and spatial resolution is progressively decreasing, and this trend is particularly apparent in the field of small animal imaging where the most important advances have been reported in SPECT tomographs. An outline of the basic features of SPECT technology, and of recent developments in SPECT instrumentation for both clinical applications and basic biological research on animal models is described. (author)

78 FR 59624 - Guidance for Industry #223: Small Entity Compliance Guide-Declaring Color Additives in Animal...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 501 [Docket No. FDA-2013-D-1088] Guidance for Industry 223: Small Entity Compliance Guide--Declaring Color Additives... industry 223 entitled ``Small Entity Compliance Guide--Declaring Color Additives in Animal Foods.'' This...

Cone Beam X-Ray Luminescence Tomography Imaging Based on KA-FEM Method for Small Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Dongmei; Meng, Fanzhen; Zhao, Fengjun; Xu, Cao

2016-01-01

Cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography can realize fast X-ray luminescence tomography imaging with relatively low scanning time compared with narrow beam X-ray luminescence tomography. However, cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography suffers from an ill-posed reconstruction problem. First, the feasibility of experiments with different penetration and multispectra in small animal has been tested using nanophosphor material. Then, the hybrid reconstruction algorithm with KA-FEM method has been applied in cone beam X-ray luminescence tomography for small animals to overcome the ill-posed reconstruction problem, whose advantage and property have been demonstrated in fluorescence tomography imaging. The in vivo mouse experiment proved the feasibility of the proposed method.

Absolute quantitative total-body small-animal SPECT with focusing pinholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Chao; Have, Frans van der; Vastenhouw, Brendan; Beekman, Freek J.; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O.; Paans, Anne M.J.

2010-01-01

In pinhole SPECT, attenuation of the photon flux on trajectories between source and pinholes affects quantitative accuracy of reconstructed images. Previously we introduced iterative methods that compensate for image degrading effects of detector and pinhole blurring, pinhole sensitivity and scatter for multi-pinhole SPECT. The aim of this paper is (1) to investigate the accuracy of the Chang algorithm in rodents and (2) to present a practical Chang-based method using body outline contours obtained with optical cameras. Here we develop and experimentally validate a practical method for attenuation correction based on a Chang first-order method. This approach has the advantage that it is employed after, and therefore independently from, iterative reconstruction. Therefore, no new system matrix has to be calculated for each specific animal. Experiments with phantoms and animals were performed with a high-resolution focusing multi-pinhole SPECT system (U-SPECT-II, MILabs, The Netherlands). This SPECT system provides three additional optical camera images of the animal for each SPECT scan from which the animal contour can be estimated. Phantom experiments demonstrated that an average quantification error of -18.7% was reduced to -1.7% when both window-based scatter correction and Chang correction based on the body outline from optical images were applied. Without scatter and attenuation correction, quantification errors in a sacrificed rat containing sources with known activity ranged from -23.6 to -9.3%. These errors were reduced to values between -6.3 and +4.3% (with an average magnitude of 2.1%) after applying scatter and Chang attenuation correction. We conclude that the modified Chang correction based on body contour combined with window-based scatter correction is a practical method for obtaining small-animal SPECT images with high quantitative accuracy. (orig.)

Laser surgery for selected small animal soft-tissue conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bartels, Kenneth E.

1991-05-01

With the acquisition of a Nd:YAG and a CO2 laser in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University in 1989, over 100 small animal clinical cases have been managed with these modern modalities for surgical excision and tissue vaporization. Most procedures have been for oncologic problems, but inflammatory, infectious, or congenital conditions including vaporization of acral lick 'granulomas,' excision/vaporization of foreign body induced, infected draining tracts, and resection of elongated soft palates have been successfully accomplished. Laser excision or vaporization of both benign and malignant neoplasms have effectively been performed and include feline nasal squamous cell carcinoma, mast cell tumors, and rectal/anal neoplasms. Results to date have been excellent with animals exhibiting little postoperative pain, swelling, and inflammation. Investigations involving application of laser energy for tissue welding of esophageal lacerations and hepatitic interstitial hyperthermia for metastatic colorectal cancer have also shown potential. A review of cases with an emphasis on survival time and postoperative morbidity suggests that carefully planned laser surgical procedures in clinical veterinary practice done with standardized protocols and techniques offer an acceptable means of treating conditions that were previously considered extremely difficult or virtually impossible to perform.

Factors influencing common diagnoses made during first-opinion small-animal consultations in the United Kingdom.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, N J; Dean, R S; Cobb, M; Brennan, M L

2016-09-01

It is currently unclear how frequently a diagnosis is made during small-animal consultations or how much of a role making a diagnosis plays in veterinary decision-making. Understanding more about the diagnostic process will help direct future research towards areas relevant to practicing veterinary surgeons. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency with which a diagnosis was made, classify the types of diagnosis made (and the factors influencing these) and determine which specific diagnoses were made for health problems discussed during small-animal consultations. Data were gathered during real-time direct observation of small-animal consultations in eight practices in the United Kingdom. Data collected included characteristics of the consultation (e.g. consultation type), patient (e.g. breed), and each problem discussed (e.g. new or pre-existing problem). Each problem discussed was classified into one of the following diagnosis types: definitive; working; presumed; open; previous. A three-level multivariable logistic-regression model was developed, with problem (Level 1) nested within patient (Level 2) nested within consulting veterinary surgeon (Level 3). Problems without a previous diagnosis, in cats and dogs only, were included in the model, which had a binary outcome variable of definitive diagnosis versus no definitive diagnosis. Data were recorded for 1901 animals presented, and data on diagnosis were gathered for 3192 health problems. Previous diagnoses were the most common diagnosis type (n=1116/3192; 35.0%), followed by open (n=868/3192; 27.2%) then definitive (n=660/3192; 20.7%). The variables remaining in the final model were patient age, problem history, consultation type, who raised the problem, and body system affected. New problems, problems in younger animals, and problems raised by the veterinary surgeon were more likely to result in a definitive diagnosis than pre-existing problems, problems in older animals, and problems raised by

Behavioral measures of tinnitus in laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Jeremy G

2007-01-01

The fact that so little is currently known about the pathophysiology of tinnitus is no doubt partly due to the relatively slow development of an animal model. Not until the work of Jastreboff et al. (1988a, b) did tinnitus researchers have at their disposal a method of determining whether their animals experienced tinnitus. Since then, a variety of additional animal models have been developed. Each of these models will be summarized in this chapter. It is becoming increasingly clear that in order to study tinnitus effectively, researchers need some verification that a drug, noise exposure or other manipulation is causing tinnitus in their animals. As this review will highlight, researchers now have a variety of behavioral options available to them.

A preliminary study of breast cancer diagnosis using laboratory based small angle x-ray scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Round, A. R.; Wilkinson, S. J.; Hall, C. J.; Rogers, K. D.; Glatter, O.; Wess, T.; Ellis, I. O.

2005-09-01

Breast tissue collected from tumour samples and normal tissue from bi-lateral mastectomy procedures were examined using small angle x-ray scattering. Previous work has indicated that breast tissue disease diagnosis could be performed using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from a synchrotron radiation source. The technique would be more useful to health services if it could be made to work using a conventional x-ray source. Consistent and reliable differences in x-ray scatter distributions were observed between samples from normal and tumour tissue samples using the laboratory based 'SAXSess' system. Albeit from a small number of samples, a sensitivity of 100% was obtained. This result encourages us to pursue the implementation of SAXS as a laboratory based diagnosis technique.

A preliminary study of breast cancer diagnosis using laboratory based small angle x-ray scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Round, A R [Daresbury Laboratories, Warrington, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Wilkinson, S J [Daresbury Laboratories, Warrington, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Hall, C J [Daresbury Laboratories, Warrington, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Rogers, K D [Department of Materials and Medical Sciences, Cranfield University, Swindon, SN6 8LA (United Kingdom); Glatter, O [Department of Chemistry, University of Graz (Austria); Wess, T [School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3NB, Wales (United Kingdom); Ellis, I O [Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

2005-09-07

Breast tissue collected from tumour samples and normal tissue from bi-lateral mastectomy procedures were examined using small angle x-ray scattering. Previous work has indicated that breast tissue disease diagnosis could be performed using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from a synchrotron radiation source. The technique would be more useful to health services if it could be made to work using a conventional x-ray source. Consistent and reliable differences in x-ray scatter distributions were observed between samples from normal and tumour tissue samples using the laboratory based 'SAXSess' system. Albeit from a small number of samples, a sensitivity of 100% was obtained. This result encourages us to pursue the implementation of SAXS as a laboratory based diagnosis technique.

A preliminary study of breast cancer diagnosis using laboratory based small angle x-ray scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Round, A R; Wilkinson, S J; Hall, C J; Rogers, K D; Glatter, O; Wess, T; Ellis, I O

2005-01-01

Breast tissue collected from tumour samples and normal tissue from bi-lateral mastectomy procedures were examined using small angle x-ray scattering. Previous work has indicated that breast tissue disease diagnosis could be performed using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from a synchrotron radiation source. The technique would be more useful to health services if it could be made to work using a conventional x-ray source. Consistent and reliable differences in x-ray scatter distributions were observed between samples from normal and tumour tissue samples using the laboratory based 'SAXSess' system. Albeit from a small number of samples, a sensitivity of 100% was obtained. This result encourages us to pursue the implementation of SAXS as a laboratory based diagnosis technique

Commercialization of Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies via small businesses. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brice, R.; Cartron, D.; Rhyne, T.; Schulze, M.; Welty, L.

1997-06-01

Over the past decade, numerous companies have been formed to commercialize research results from leading U.S. academic and research institutions. Emerging small businesses in areas such as Silicon Valley, Boston`s Route 128 corridor, and North Carolina`s Research Triangle have been especially effective in moving promising technologies from the laboratory bench to the commercial marketplace--creating new jobs and economic expansion in the process. Unfortunately, many of the U.S. national laboratories have not been major participants in this technology/commercialization activity, a result of a wide variety of factors which, until recently, acted against successful commercialization. This {open_quotes}commercialization gap{close_quotes} exists partly due to a lack, within Los Alamos in particular and the DOE in general, of in-depth expertise and experience in such business areas as new business development, securities regulation, market research and the determination of commercial potential, the identification of entrepreneurial management, marketing and distribution, and venture capital sources. The immediate consequence of these factors is the disappointingly small number of start-up companies based on technologies from Los Alamos National Laboratory that have been attempted, the modest financial return Los Alamos has received from these start-ups, and the lack of significant national recognition that Los Alamos has received for creating and commercializing these technologies.

A 3D high-resolution gamma camera for radiopharmaceutical studies with small animals

CERN Document Server

Loudos, G K; Giokaris, N D; Styliaris, E; Archimandritis, S C; Varvarigou, A D; Papanicolas, C N; Majewski, S; Weisenberger, D; Pani, R; Scopinaro, F; Uzunoglu, N K; Maintas, D; Stefanis, K

2003-01-01

The results of studies conducted with a small field of view tomographic gamma camera based on a Position Sensitive Photomultiplier Tube are reported. The system has been used for the evaluation of radiopharmaceuticals in small animals. Phantom studies have shown a spatial resolution of 2 mm in planar and 2-3 mm in tomographic imaging. Imaging studies in mice have been carried out both in 2D and 3D. Conventional radiopharmaceuticals have been used and the results have been compared with images from a clinically used system.

Evaluation of 3D reconstruction algorithms for a small animal PET camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, C.A.; Gandler, W.R.; Seidel, J.

1996-01-01

The use of paired, opposing position-sensitive phototube scintillation cameras (SCs) operating in coincidence for small animal imaging with positron emitters is currently under study. Because of the low sensitivity of the system even in 3D mode and the need to produce images with high resolution, it was postulated that a 3D expectation maximization (EM) reconstruction algorithm might be well suited for this application. We investigated four reconstruction algorithms for the 3D SC PET camera: 2D filtered back-projection (FBP), 2D ordered subset EM (OSEM), 3D reprojection (3DRP), and 3D OSEM. Noise was assessed for all slices by the coefficient of variation in a simulated uniform cylinder. Resolution was assessed from a simulation of 15 point sources in the warm background of the uniform cylinder. At comparable noise levels, the resolution achieved with OSEM (0.9-mm to 1.2-mm) is significantly better than that obtained with FBP or 3DRP (1.5-mm to 2.0-mm.) Images of a rat skull labeled with 18 F-fluoride suggest that 3D OSEM can improve image quality of a small animal PET camera

Development of an Extracorporeal Perfusion Device for Small Animal Free Flaps.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas M Fichter

Full Text Available Extracorporeal perfusion (ECP might prolong the vital storage capabilities of composite free flaps, potentially opening a wide range of clinical applications. Aim of the study was the development a validated low-cost extracorporeal perfusion model for further research in small animal free flaps.After establishing optimal perfusion settings, a specially designed extracorporeal perfusion system was evaluated during 8-hour perfusion of rat epigastric flaps followed by microvascular free flap transfer. Controls comprised sham-operation, ischemia and in vivo perfusion. Flaps and perfusate (diluted blood were closely monitored by blood gas analysis, combined laser Doppler flowmetry and remission spectroscopy and Indocyanine-Green angiography. Evaluations were complemented by assessment of necrotic area and light microscopy at day 7.ECP was established and maintained for 8 hours with constant potassium and pH levels. Subsequent flap transfer was successful. Notably, the rate of necrosis of extracorporeally perfused flaps (27% was even lower than after in vivo perfusion (49%, although not statistically significant (P = 0,083. After sham-operation, only 6% of the total flap area became necrotic, while 8-hour ischemia led to total flap loss (98%. Angiographic and histological findings confirmed these observations.Vital storage capabilities of microvascular flaps can be prolonged by temporary ECP. Our study provides important insights on the pathophysiological processes during extracorporeal tissue perfusion and provides a validated small animal perfusion model for further studies.

Indicadores de desempenho em um laboratório de diagnóstico animal = Performance indicators in an animal diagnostic laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sílvio Orlan de Castro Chaves

2018-06-01

Full Text Available A utilização dos indicadores da qualidade vem sendo estimulada nos laboratórios para melhorar a qualificaçã o e a quantificaçã o dos erros nos diferentes processos laboratoriais, bem como para ajudar na implantaçã o de medidas corretivas e preventivas e indicar a eficá cia das açõ es realizadas. Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar indicadores de desempenho durante o ano de 2015 e de 2016 em um laboratório de diagnóstico animal localizado em Belém, estado do Pará. Dessa forma, utilizou-se quatro indicadores de desempenho do laboratório: nú mero de açõ es de divulgaçã o do laboratório para sociedade; desempenho temporal; percentual de ensaios acreditados e percentual de execução do plano de capacitação. Todos os ensaios ofertados pelo laboratório são acreditados na ABNT NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Verificou-se que não houve ações de divulgação do laboratório no ano de 2015, entretanto, no ano de 2016, ocorreram sete ações de divulgação do laboratório em diferentes estados do Brasil. As amostras com relatórios de ensaio fornecidos dentro do prazo estipulado para os clientes decresceram 1,5% entre o ano de 2015 (92,7% para 2016 (91,2%. O percentual de capacitação dos funcionários foi nulo no ano de 2015 (0% e pouco expressivo em 2016 (16,7%. Conclui-se que o laboratório em estudo apresenta bons indicadores de desempenho temporal e de acreditação, porém deve atentar para melhoria continua das ações futuras de divulgação da instituição e para o treinamento de pessoal a fim de atender plenamente o planejamento estratégico do órgão. = The use of quality indicators has been valued in the management of laboratories to optimize the qualification and quantification of failures in different laboratory processes, as well as to assist in the implementation of corrective and preventive measures and to indicate the effectiveness of the actions taken. This study aims to evaluate key

A new generation of PET scanners for small animal studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegyesi, G.; Imrek, J.; Kalinka, G.; Molnar, J.; Novak, D.; Valastyan, I.; Balkay, L.; Emri, M.; Kis, S.; Tron, L.

2008-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Research on small animal PET scanners has been a hot topic in recent years. These devices are used in the preclinical phases of drug tests and during the development of new radiopharmaceuticals. They also provide a cost efficient way to test new materials, new design concepts and new technologies that later can be used to build more efficient human medical imaging devices. The development of a PET scanner requires expertise on different fields, therefore a consortium was formed that brought together Hungarian academic and industrial partners: the Nuclear Research Institute (which has experience in the development of nuclear detectors and data acquisition systems), the PET Center of the University of Debrecen (which has clinical experience in the application of nuclear imaging devices and background in image processing software), Mediso Ltd. (which has been developing, manufacturing, selling and servicing medical imaging devices since 1990) and other academic partners. This consortium has been working together since 2003: the knowledge base acquired during the development of our small animal PET scanners (miniPET-I and miniPET-II) is now being utilized to build a commercial multimodal human PET scanner. The operation of a PET scanner is based on the simultaneous detection ('coincidence') of two gamma photons originating from a positron annihilation. In traditional PET scanners coincidence is detected by a central unit during the measurement. In our system there is no such central module: all detected single gamma events are recorded (list mode data acquisition), and the list of events are processed using a computer cluster (built from PCs). The usage of independent detector modules and commercial components reduce both development and maintenance costs. Also, this mode of data acquisition is more suitable for development purposes, since once the data is collected and stored it can be used many times to test different signal

3D absorbed dose calculation with GATE Monte Carlo simulation for the image-guided radiation therapy dedicated to the small animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noblet, Caroline

2014-01-01

Innovating irradiators dedicated to small animal allow to mimic clinical treatments in image-guided radiation therapy. Clinical practice is scaled down to the small animal by reducing beam dimensions (from cm to mm) and energy (from MeV to keV). Millimeter medium energy beams ( [fr

Commercialization of Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies via small businesses. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brice, R.; Carton, D.; Rhyne, T. [and others

1997-06-01

Appendices are presented from a study performed on a concept model system for the commercialization of Los Alamos National Laboratory technologies via small businesses. Topics include a summary of information from the joint MCC/Los Alamos technology conference; a comparison of New Mexico infrastructure to other areas; a typical licensing agreement; technology screening guides; summaries of specific DOE/UC/Los Alamos documents; a bibliography; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory TCRD; The Ames Center for Advanced Technology Development; Los Alamos licensing procedures; presentation of slides from monthly MCC/Los Alamos review meetings; generalized entrepreneurship model; and a discussion on receiving equity for technology.

HOMOLOGOUS MEASURES OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN HUMAN INFANTS AND LABORATORY ANIMALS TO IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS TO CHILDREN

Science.gov (United States)

The importance of including neurodevelopmental endpoints in environmental studies is clear. A validated measure of cognitive fucntion in human infants that also has a parallel test in laboratory animal studies will provide a valuable approach for largescale studies. Such a ho...

Quality assurance for animal feed analysis laboratories

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balthrop, J.; Brand, B.; Cowie, R.A.; Danier, J.; Boever, de J.L.; Jonge, de L.H.; Jackson, F.; Makkar, H.P.S.; Piotrowski, C.

2011-01-01

Every sector of the livestock industry, the associated services and the wellbeing of both animals and humans are influenced by animal feeding. The availability of accurate, reliable and reproducible analytical data is imperative for proper feed formulation. Only reliable analysis can lead to the

RFID Technology for Continuous Monitoring of Physiological Signals in Small Animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Volk, Tobias; Gorbey, Stefan; Bhattacharyya, Mayukh; Gruenwald, Waldemar; Lemmer, Björn; Reindl, Leonhard M; Stieglitz, Thomas; Jansen, Dirk

2015-02-01

Telemetry systems enable researchers to continuously monitor physiological signals in unrestrained, freely moving small rodents. Drawbacks of common systems are limited operation time, the need to house the animals separately, and the necessity of a stable communication link. Furthermore, the costs of the typically proprietary telemetry systems reduce the acceptance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a low-cost telemetry system based on common radio frequency identification technology optimized for battery-independent operational time, good reusability, and flexibility. The presented implant is equipped with sensors to measure electrocardiogram, arterial blood pressure, and body temperature. The biological signals are transmitted as digital data streams. The device is able of monitoring several freely moving animals housed in groups with a single reader station. The modular concept of the system significantly reduces the costs to monitor multiple physiological functions and refining procedures in preclinical research.

Potential Applications of Flat-Panel Volumetric CT in Morphologic, Functional Small Animal Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne Greschus

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Noninvasive radiologic imaging has recently gained considerable interest in basic, preclinical research for monitoring disease progression, therapeutic efficacy. In this report, we introduce flat-panel volumetric computed tomography (fpVCT as a powerful new tool for noninvasive imaging of different organ systems in preclinical research. The three-dimensional visualization that is achieved by isotropic high-resolution datasets is illustrated for the skeleton, chest, abdominal organs, brain of mice. The high image quality of chest scans enables the visualization of small lung nodules in an orthotopic lung cancer model, the reliable imaging of therapy side effects such as lung fibrosis. Using contrast-enhanced scans, fpVCT displayed the vascular trees of the brain, liver, kidney down to the subsegmental level. Functional application of fpVCT in dynamic contrast-enhanced scans of the rat brain delivered physiologically reliable data of perfusion, tissue blood volume. Beyond scanning of small animal models as demonstrated here, fpVCT provides the ability to image animals up to the size of primates.

Laboratory Animal Management: Wild Birds.

Science.gov (United States)

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Inst. of Lab. Animal Resources.

This is a report on the care and use of wild birds in captivity as research animals. Chapters are presented on procurement and identification, housing, nutrition, health of birds and personnel, reproduction in confinement, and surgical procedures. Also included are addresses of federal, state, and provencial regulatory agencies concerned with wild…

Design of small-animal thermal neutron irradiation facility at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, H.B.

1996-01-01

The broad beam facility (BBF) at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR) can provide a thermal neutron beam with flux intensity and quality comparable to the beam currently used for research on neutron capture therapy using cell-culture and small-animal irradiations. Monte Carlo computations were made, first, to compare with the dosimetric measurements at the existing BBF and, second, to calculate the neutron and gamma fluxes and doses expected at the proposed BBF. Multiple cell cultures or small animals could be irradiated simultaneously at the so-modified BBF under conditions similar to or better than those individual animals irradiated at the existing thermal neutron irradiation Facility (TNIF) of the BMRR. The flux intensity of the collimated thermal neutron beam at the proposed BBF would be 1.7 x 10 10 n/cm 2 ·s at 3-MW reactor power, the same as at the TNIF. However, the proposed collimated beam would have much lower gamma (0.89 x 10 -11 cGy·cm 2 /n th ) and fast neutron (0.58 x 10 -11 cGy·cm 2 /n th ) contaminations, 64 and 19% of those at the TNIF, respectively. The feasibility of remodeling the facility is discussed

COMPARABLE MEASURES OF COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN HUMAN INFANTS AND LABORATORY ANIMALS TO IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISKS TO CHILDREN

Science.gov (United States)

The importance of including neurodevelopmental end points in environmental studies is clear. A validated measure of cognitive function in human infants that also has a homologous or parallel test in laboratory animal studies will provide a valuable approach for large-scale studie...

Verification of photon attenuation characteristics for 3D printer based small animal lung model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Se Ho; Lee, Seung Wook; Han, Su Chul; Park, Seung Woo

2016-01-01

Since it is difficult to measure absorbed dose to mice in vivo, replica mice are mostly used as alternative. In this study, realistic mouse phantom was fabricated by using 3D printer (object500 connex3, Stratasys, USA). Elemental inks as material of 3D printer were selected corresponding to mouse tissue. To represent lung, selected material was partially used with air layer. In order to verify material equivalent, super-flex bolus was simply compared to verify photon attenuation characteristics. In the case of lung, Hounsfield unit (HU) of the phantom were compared with a live mouse. In this study, we fabricated mouse phantom by using 3D printer, and practically verified photon attenuation characteristics. The fabricated phantom shows tissue equivalence as well as similar geometry with live mouse. As more and more growing of 3D printer technique, 3D printer based small preclinical animal phantom would increase reliability of verification of absorbed dose in small animal for preclinical study

Verification of photon attenuation characteristics for 3D printer based small animal lung model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Se Ho; Lee, Seung Wook [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Han, Su Chul; Park, Seung Woo [Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

Since it is difficult to measure absorbed dose to mice in vivo, replica mice are mostly used as alternative. In this study, realistic mouse phantom was fabricated by using 3D printer (object500 connex3, Stratasys, USA). Elemental inks as material of 3D printer were selected corresponding to mouse tissue. To represent lung, selected material was partially used with air layer. In order to verify material equivalent, super-flex bolus was simply compared to verify photon attenuation characteristics. In the case of lung, Hounsfield unit (HU) of the phantom were compared with a live mouse. In this study, we fabricated mouse phantom by using 3D printer, and practically verified photon attenuation characteristics. The fabricated phantom shows tissue equivalence as well as similar geometry with live mouse. As more and more growing of 3D printer technique, 3D printer based small preclinical animal phantom would increase reliability of verification of absorbed dose in small animal for preclinical study.

Small-animal whole-body imaging using a photoacoustic full ring array system

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun; Guo, Zijian; Aguirre, Andres; Zhu, Quing; Wang, Lihong V.

2011-03-01

In this report, we present a novel 3D photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system for small-animal whole-body imaging. The PACT system, based on a 512-element full-ring transducer array, received photoacoustic signals primarily from a 2-mm-thick slice. The light was generated by a pulse laser, and can either illuminate from the top or be reshaped to illuminate the sample from the side, using a conical lens and an optical condenser. The PACT system was capable of acquiring an in-plane image in 1.6 s; by scanning the sample in the elevational direction, a 3D tomographic image could be constructed. We tested the system by imaging a cylindrical phantom made of human hairs immersed in a scattering medium. The reconstructed image achieved an in-plane resolution of 0.1 mm and an elevational resolution of 1 mm. After deconvolution in the elevational direction, the 3D image was found to match well with the phantom. The system was also used to image a baby mouse in situ; the spinal cord and ribs can be seen easily in the reconstructed image. Our results demonstrate that the PACT system has the potential to be used for fast small-animal whole-body tomographic imaging.

Establishment study of the in vivo imaging analysis with small animal imaging modalities for bio-durg development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Beomsu; Park, Sanghyeon; Choi, Dae Seong; Park, Jeonghoon; Jung, Uhee; Lee, Yun Jong

2012-01-01

In this study, we established the image modalities (micro-PET, SPECT/CT) using the experimental animal (mouse) for the development of imaging assessment method for the bio-durg and extramural collaboration proposal. We examined the micro-SPECT/CT, PET imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and imaging study using the Siemens Inveon micro-multimodality system (SPECT/CT) and micro-PET with 99m Tc tricarbonyl bifunctional chelators and 18 F-clotrimazole derivative. SPECT imaging studies were performed with 99m Tc tricarbonyl BFCs. PET imaging study was performed with 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives. We performed the PET image study of 18 F-clotrimazole derivatives using U87MG tumor bearing mice. Also we tested the intramural and extramural collaboration using small animal imaging modalities and prepared the draft of extramural R and D operation manual for small animal imaging modalities and the experimental animal imaging facility. These research results can be utilized as a basic image study protocols and data for the image assessment of drugs including biological drug

A Modified Carbon Monoxide Breath Test for Measuring Erythrocyte Lifespan in Small Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Jian Ma

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was to develop a CO breath test for RBC lifespan estimation of small animals. The ribavirin induced hemolysis rabbit models were placed individually in a closed rebreath cage and air samples were collected for measurement of CO concentration. RBC lifespan was calculated from accumulated CO, blood volume, and hemoglobin concentration data. RBC lifespan was determined in the same animals with the standard biotin-labeling method. RBC lifespan data obtained by the CO breath test method for control (CON, 49.0±5.9 d rabbits, rabbits given 10 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB10, 31.0±4.0 d, and rabbits given 20 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB20, 25.0±2.9 d were statistically similar (all p>0.05 to and linearly correlated (r=0.96, p<0.01 with the RBC lifespan data obtained for the same rabbits by the standard biotin-labeling method (CON, 51.0±2.7 d; RIB10, 33.0±1.3 d; and RIB20, 27.0±0.8 d. The CO breath test method takes less than 3 h to complete, whereas the standard method requires at least several weeks. In conclusion, the CO breath test method provides a simple and rapid means of estimating RBC lifespan and is feasible for use with small animal models.

GATE simulation of a new design of pinhole SPECT system for small animal brain imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozsahin, D. Uzun; Bläckberg, L.; Fakhri, G. El; Sabet, H.

2017-01-01

Small animal SPECT imaging has gained an increased interest over the past decade since it is an excellent tool for developing new drugs and tracers. Therefore, there is a huge effort on the development of cost-effective SPECT detectors with high capabilities. The aim of this study is to simulate the performance characteristics of new designs for a cost effective, stationary SPECT system dedicated to small animal imaging with a focus on mice brain. The conceptual design of this SPECT system platform, Stationary Small Animal SSA-SPECT, is to use many pixelated CsI:TI detector modules with 0.4 mm × 0.4 mm pixels in order to achieve excellent intrinsic detector resolution where each module is backed by a single pinhole collimator with 0.3 mm hole diameter. In this work, we present the simulation results of four variations of the SSA-SPECT platform where the number of detector modules and FOV size is varied while keeping the detector size and collimator hole size constant. Using the NEMA NU-4 protocol, we performed spatial resolution, sensitivity, image quality simulations followed by a Derenzo-like phantom evaluation. The results suggest that all four SSA-SPECT systems can provide better than 0.063% system sensitivity and < 1.5 mm FWHM spatial resolution without resolution recovery or other correction techniques. Specifically, SSA-SPECT-1 showed a system sensitivity of 0.09% in combination with 1.1 mm FWHM spatial resolution.

Role of surgery in multimodal cancer therapy for small animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Boston, Sarah; Henderson, Ralph A

2014-09-01

Surgery is a critical component in the treatment of most solid tumors in small animals. Surgery is increasingly combined with adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation so surgeons who are treating cancer must have a good understanding of surgical oncology principles, cancer biology, and the roles and potential interactions of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. The sequencing plan for these modalities should be determined before treatment is initiated. The surgical oncologist must have a working knowledge of chemotherapy agents and radiation and the effect of these treatments on the ability of tissues to heal and the outcome for the patient. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Instruments for radiation measurement in life sciences (5). 'Development of imaging Technology in life sciences'. 5. X-ray CT for laboratory animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamegai, Toshiaki

2007-01-01

X-ray computed tomography, commercialized by EMI Co., UK, in 1973 and now used world-widely, is used not only for medical use but also for laboratory animals such as rats and mice to measure bone density and to obtain fine structures of bones. This paper introduces X-ray CT apparatus specifically designed for laboratory animals. Besides general explanations about the method, followed by emphasis on important performance of the measuring system, the paper explains technical aspects for obtaining the CT imaging scan procedure thus showing several photographs as example and introducing some clinical applications. (S. Ohno)

TH-EF-207A-05: Feasibility of Applying SMEIR Method On Small Animal 4D Cone Beam CT Imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Y; Zhang, Y; Shao, Y; Wang, J

2016-01-01

Purpose: Small animal cone beam CT imaging has been widely used in preclinical research. Due to the higher respiratory rate and heat beats of small animals, motion blurring is inevitable and needs to be corrected in the reconstruction. Simultaneous motion estimation and image reconstruction (SMEIR) method, which uses projection images of all phases, proved to be effective in motion model estimation and able to reconstruct motion-compensated images. We demonstrate the application of SMEIR for small animal 4D cone beam CT imaging by computer simulations on a digital rat model. Methods: The small animal CBCT imaging system was simulated with the source-to-detector distance of 300 mm and the source-to-object distance of 200 mm. A sequence of rat phantom were generated with 0.4 mm 3 voxel size. The respiratory cycle was taken as 1.0 second and the motions were simulated with a diaphragm motion of 2.4mm and an anterior-posterior expansion of 1.6 mm. The projection images were calculated using a ray-tracing method, and 4D-CBCT were reconstructed using SMEIR and FDK methods. The SMEIR method iterates over two alternating steps: 1) motion-compensated iterative image reconstruction by using projections from all respiration phases and 2) motion model estimation from projections directly through a 2D-3D deformable registration of the image obtained in the first step to projection images of other phases. Results: The images reconstructed using SMEIR method reproduced the features in the original phantom. Projections from the same phase were also reconstructed using FDK method. Compared with the FDK results, the images from SMEIR method substantially improve the image quality with minimum artifacts. Conclusion: We demonstrate that it is viable to apply SMEIR method to reconstruct small animal 4D-CBCT images.

Anaphylaxis Imaging: Non-Invasive Measurement of Surface Body Temperature and Physical Activity in Small Animals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krisztina Manzano-Szalai

Full Text Available In highly sensitized patients, the encounter with a specific allergen from food, insect stings or medications may rapidly induce systemic anaphylaxis with potentially lethal symptoms. Countless animal models of anaphylaxis, most often in BALB/c mice, were established to understand the pathophysiology and to prove the safety of different treatments. The most common symptoms during anaphylactic shock are drop of body temperature and reduced physical activity. To refine, improve and objectify the currently applied manual monitoring methods, we developed an imaging method for the automated, non-invasive measurement of the whole-body surface temperature and, at the same time, of the horizontal and vertical movement activity of small animals. We tested the anaphylaxis imaging in three in vivo allergy mouse models for i milk allergy, ii peanut allergy and iii egg allergy. These proof-of-principle experiments suggest that the imaging technology represents a reliable non-invasive method for the objective monitoring of small animals during anaphylaxis over time. We propose that the method will be useful for monitoring diseases associated with both, changes in body temperature and in physical behaviour.

Commentary on key aspects of fecal microbiota transplantation in small animal practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaitman J

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Jennifer Chaitman,1 Albert E Jergens,2 Frederic Gaschen,3 Jose F Garcia-Mazcorro,4 Stanley L Marks,5 Alicia G Marroquin-Cardona,4 Keith Richter,6 Giacomo Rossi,7 Jan S Suchodolski,8 J Scott Weese9 1Veterinary Internal Medicine and Allergy Specialists, New York, NY, 2College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 3School of Veterinary Medicine, Lousiana State University, LA, USA; 4Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, General Escobedo, Nuevo León, Mexico; 5Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, 6Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; 7Department of Veterinary Science, School of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy; 8Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; 9Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada Abstract: The gastrointestinal tract of dogs, cats, and other mammals including humans harbors millions of beneficial microorganisms that regulate and maintain health. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT is a procedure involving the administration of a fecal infusion from a healthy individual (donor to a patient with disease to help improve health. Despite the effectiveness of FMT to treat intestinal disorders in humans, in particular recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, there is a paucity of scientific data regarding the application of FMT in veterinary patients. Here, we outline key aspects of FMT in small animal practice. Keywords: microbiota, health, fecal microbiota transplantation, dysbiosis, enteropathogens, immune system

Denoising of high resolution small animal 3D PET data using the non-subsampled Haar wavelet transform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochoa Domínguez, Humberto de Jesús; Máynez, Leticia O.; Vergara Villegas, Osslan O.; Mederos, Boris; Mejía, José M.; Cruz Sánchez, Vianey G.

2015-01-01

PET allows functional imaging of the living tissue. However, one of the most serious technical problems affecting the reconstructed data is the noise, particularly in images of small animals. In this paper, a method for high-resolution small animal 3D PET data is proposed with the aim to reduce the noise and preserve details. The method is based on the estimation of the non-subsampled Haar wavelet coefficients by using a linear estimator. The procedure is applied to the volumetric images, reconstructed without correction factors (plane reconstruction). Results show that the method preserves the structures and drastically reduces the noise that contaminates the image

Denoising of high resolution small animal 3D PET data using the non-subsampled Haar wavelet transform

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ochoa Domínguez, Humberto de Jesús, E-mail: hochoa@uacj.mx [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Máynez, Leticia O. [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Vergara Villegas, Osslan O. [Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico); Mederos, Boris; Mejía, José M.; Cruz Sánchez, Vianey G. [Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y computación, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Juárez, Chih. (Mexico)

2015-06-01

PET allows functional imaging of the living tissue. However, one of the most serious technical problems affecting the reconstructed data is the noise, particularly in images of small animals. In this paper, a method for high-resolution small animal 3D PET data is proposed with the aim to reduce the noise and preserve details. The method is based on the estimation of the non-subsampled Haar wavelet coefficients by using a linear estimator. The procedure is applied to the volumetric images, reconstructed without correction factors (plane reconstruction). Results show that the method preserves the structures and drastically reduces the noise that contaminates the image.

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-06-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC{sub 50} values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC{sub 50} obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC{sub 50}). This LC{sub 50} value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC{sub 50}. For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC{sub 50} and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC{sub 50} of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC{sub 50} values. In contrast, LC{sub 50} determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature.

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kefford, Ben J.; Papas, Phil J.; Metzeling, Leon; Nugegoda, Dayanthi

2004-01-01

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC 50 values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC 50 obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC 50 ). This LC 50 value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC 50 . For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC 50 and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC 50 of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC 50 values. In contrast, LC 50 determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies. - Acute laboratory salinity tolerances relate to maximum salinity where organisms occur in nature

Evaluation of RT-PCR Assay for Routine Laboratory Diagnosis of Rabies in Post Mortem Brain Samples from Different Species of Animals

OpenAIRE

Aravindh Babu, R. P.; Manoharan, S.; Ramadass, P.; Chandran, N. D. J.

2012-01-01

Rabies in domestic and wild animals continues to be a major public health threat in India. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of rabies in animals is therefore of utmost importance as the individuals who were in contact with the rabid animals are at a greater risk. A significant amount of diagnostic tissue samples submitted to our laboratory are often autolysed and the WHO recommended direct fluorescent antibody test (FAT) for rabies diagnosis cannot be used in such samples. In this pilot study we ...

SU-E-T-217: Intrinsic Respiratory Gating in Small Animal CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Y; Smith, M; Mistry, N [University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: Preclinical animal models of lung cancer can provide a controlled test-bed for testing dose escalation or function-based-treatment-planning studies. However, to extract lung function, i.e. ventilation, one needs to be able to image the lung at different phases of ventilation (in-hale / ex-hale). Most respiratory-gated imaging using micro-CT involves using an external ventilator and surgical intervention limiting the utility in longitudinal studies. A new intrinsic respiratory retrospective gating method was developed and tested in mice. Methods: A fixed region of interest (ROI) that covers the diaphragm was selected on all projection images to estimate the mean intensity (M). The mean intensity depends on the projection angle and diaphragm position. A 3-point moving average (A) of consecutive M values: Mpre, Mcurrent and Mpost, was calculated to be subtracted from Mcurrent. A fixed threshold was used to enable amplitude based sorting into 4 different phases of respiration. Images at full-inhale and end-exhale phases of respiration were reconstructed using the open source OSCaR. Lung volumes estimated at the 2 phases of respiration were validated against literature values. Results: Intrinsic retrospective gating was accomplished without the use of any external breathing waveform. While projection images were acquired at 360 different angles. Only 138 and 104 projections were used to reconstruct images at full-inhale and end-exhale. This often results in non-uniform under-sampled angular projections leading to some minor streaking artifacts. The calculated expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes correlated well with the values known from the literature. Conclusion: Our initial result demonstrates an intrinsic gating method that is suitable for flat panel cone beam small animal CT systems. Reduction in streaking artifacts can be accomplished by oversampling the data or using iterative reconstruction methods. This initial experience will enable

9 CFR 147.51 - Authorized laboratory minimum requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Authorized laboratory minimum requirements. 147.51 Section 147.51 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE... Authorized Laboratories and Approved Tests § 147.51 Authorized laboratory minimum requirements. These minimum...

Animal experiments in radiotherapy. II. Large animals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Probert, J C; Hughes, D B

1975-03-01

A review has been made of factors of importance when using large animals for organ or partial body irradiation research. The problem has been considered from the viewpoint of the clinician. The rabbit, cat, dog, pig and monkey have been examined in detail for suitability as laboratory animals. Dosimetric and volume features have been reviewed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF METABOLISM AND WORKING OUT THE METHODS OF DETERMINATION OF SYNTHETIC CANNABINOID THJ-2201 IN THE URINE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Yu. Apushkin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The proposed article touches upon the study of metabolism of new synthetic cannabinoids. In the work the data on synthetic cannabinoid 3-(Naftalin-1-yloxomethyl-1-(5-fluoropentyl-1H-indazole (THJ-2201, as well as the products of its metabolism in the laboratory rats of the Wistar line are given, i. e. Mass spectra and chromatograms of the native substance (THJ-2201 obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass-selective detection (HPLC-MS and gas chromatography with mass-selective detection (GC-MS are given. The paper presents a complex technique for qualitative determination of cannabimimetics THJ-2201 and methods for obtaining a metabolic profile model for the test substance that can be useful for the tasks of qualitative detection and detection of new psychoactive substances in biological objects for the purposes of forensic analysis.The aim of this work was to develop methods for determination of the test substance (THJ-2201 and its metabolites in the urine of laboratory animals, as well as the study of the metabolic characteristics of synthetic cannabinoids on the whole.Materials and methods. The following equipment was used for the experiment: a liquid chromatograph from the firm “Shimadzu LCMC-8050” in combination with a mass-selective detector. The detector type is a triple quadrupole with a double ionization source (chemical ionization at atmospheric pressure and electrospray. The separation of the substances occurred in a chromatographic column (the material is stainless steel, the characteristics are: 150 * 3.0 mm, Luna 3uC18 (2, 100A. The Sorbent is reversed-phase. The investigations were carried out on Agilent 7890A gas chromatograph with Agilent 5975C mass spectrometer and a 103 polar HP-5ms column of 28 m × 0.25 mm. The animals were mature male white laboratory rats of the Wistar line, aged 4–6 months, weighing 190-230 grams.Results and discussion. As a result of the studies, a comprehensive methodology for

76 FR 60721 - New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol; Monensin

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-30

.... FDA-2011-N-0003] New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol; Monensin AGENCY: Food and... amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Ivy Laboratories, Division of Ivy Animal Health, Inc. The supplemental ANADA...

Optimization and evaluation of Flexicult(®) Vet for detection, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial uropathogens in small animal veterinary practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guardabassi, Luca; Hedberg, Sandra; Jessen, Lisbeth Rem

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common reason for antimicrobial prescription in dogs and cats. The objective of this study was to optimize and evaluate a culture-based point-of-care test for detection, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial uro......-pathogens in veterinary practice. METHODS: Seventy-two urine samples from dogs and cats with suspected UTI presenting to seven veterinary facilities were used by clinical staff and an investigator to estimate sensitivity and specificity of Flexicult Vet A compared to laboratory reference standards for culture...... B (commercial name Flexicult(®) Vet) is a time- and cost-effective point-of-care test to guide antimicrobial choice and facilitate implementation of antimicrobial use guidelines for treatment of UTIs in small animals, provided that clinical staff is adequately trained to interpret the results...

Practical experiences with irradiation of laboratory animals' feed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamiker, D.

1979-01-01

The increasing need for well-defined, standardized experimental animals for research has led to the development of many new methods of keeping the animals free from pathogenic microorganisms. In this connection the problem of contaminated food has taken on ever greater significance. The methods most commonly used today, namely chemical treatment and heat treatment of the fodder, have many disadvantages and interest in the use of radiation sterilization has accordingly increased. The author discusses the various aspects of this method in relation to SPF animals and reports on the three years' experience of the Research Institute for Experimental Animal Breeding (University of Vienna) in Himberg with the use of exclusively radiation-treated diets in the rearing of rats and mice. The ease of handling irradiated fodder, the reliability of the method from the microbiological point of view and the excellent breeding results already obtained make this process - despite its somewhat higher cost - the best possible method of pasteurizing the feed of experimental animals. (author)

[The opportunity to use combined stem cells transplantation for haemopoesis activation in the old and mature laboratory animals under the conditions of ionizing radiation].

Science.gov (United States)

Grebnev, D Iu; Maklakova, I Iu; Iastrebov, A P

2014-01-01

The objective of this work was to study the influence of combined transplantation of stem cells (multypotent mesenchimal stromal and haemopoetic stem cells) on the haemopoesis of old and mature laboratory animals under the condition of ionizing radiation. The result of the experiment shows that under physiological conditions the combined transplantation brings the erithropoesis activation, under the ionizing radiation conditions it brings the erythroid and granulocytopoesis activation. Moreover the combined MMSC and HSC transplantation gives cytoprotective action on the myeloid tissue due to decrease of cyto genically changed cells in the mature animals under the condition of ionizing radiation, but in the old animals this effect can be seen even under physiological condition. Combined transplantation of MMSC and GSC can be used in the mature and old laboratory animals under the conditions of ionising radiation for the haemopoesis activation.

Image-guided small animal radiation research platform: calibration of treatment beam alignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matinfar, Mohammad; Iordachita, Iulian; Kazanzides, Peter; Ford, Eric; Wong, John

2009-01-01

Small animal research allows detailed study of biological processes, disease progression and response to therapy with the potential to provide a natural bridge to the clinical environment. The small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) is a portable system for precision irradiation with beam sizes down to approximately 0.5 mm and optimally planned radiation with on-board cone-beam CT (CBCT) guidance. This paper focuses on the geometric calibration of the system for high-precision irradiation. A novel technique for the calibration of the treatment beam is presented, which employs an x-ray camera whose precise positioning need not be known. Using the camera system we acquired a digitally reconstructed 3D 'star shot' for gantry calibration and then developed a technique to align each beam to a common isocenter with the robotic animal positioning stages. The calibration incorporates localization by cone-beam CT guidance. Uncorrected offsets of the beams with respect to the calibration origin ranged from 0.4 mm to 5.2 mm. With corrections, these alignment errors can be reduced to the sub-millimeter range. The calibration technique was used to deliver a stereotactic-like arc treatment to a phantom constructed with EBT Gafchromic films. All beams were shown to intersect at a common isocenter with a measured beam (FWHM) of approximately 1.07 mm using the 0.5 mm collimated beam. The desired positioning accuracy of the SARRP is 0.25 mm and the results indicate an accuracy of 0.2 mm. To fully realize the radiation localization capabilities of the SARRP, precise geometric calibration is required, as with any such system. The x-ray camera-based technique presented here provides a straightforward and semi-automatic method for system calibration.

Programmable electronics for low-cost small animal PET/SPECT imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerra, Pedro; Rubio, Jose L.; Kontaxakis, Georgios; Ortuno, Juan E.; Ledesma, Maria J.; Santos, Andres

2006-01-01

This work describes and characterizes the detector module of a novel positron/single photon emission (PET/SPECT) scanner for small animals. This detector consists of a YAP/LSO phoswich, a photomultiplier and acquisition front-end, and will be used as building block of a low-cost hybrid tomograph. The front-end processes data sampled at a fixed frequency, where a state-of-the-art programmable device estimates scintillation pulse parameters by means of digital algorithms. Finally, the estimated properties of the proposed detector module are used to model a rotating four-head scanner. The performance of the proposed PET/SPECT scanner is estimated and first results are promising in both modalities, deserving further research and optimization

Micro-computed tomography newly developed for in vivo small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Yoshinori; Ninomiya, Tadashi; Kato, Takafumi; Masuda, Yuji

2005-01-01

The aim of this paper is to report a newly developed micro-computed tomography system for in vivo use. The system was composed of a micro-focus X-ray tube and an image intensifier (I.I.), both of which rotated around the object stage. A guinea pig and a rat were examined. The anesthetized animal was set on the secure object stage. Images of the head of the guinea pig and the tibia knee joint of the rat were taken. In addition, an image of the rat's tail was taken. The reconstruction and the image viewing were carried out using I-View software. The voxel matrix was 512 x 512 x 384. The voxel sizes ranged from 10 x 10 x 10 μm to 100 x 100 x 100 μm. The exposure time was 17 s, and the reconstruction time was 150 s. The head of the guinea pig and the tibia/knee joint of the rat were observed clearly under 100-μm and 30μm voxels, respectively. The trabecular bone of the tail was also observed clearly under a 10 μm voxel. The newly developed micro-computed tomography system makes it possible to obtain images of anesthetized animals set on a secure object stage. Clear bone images of the small animals could be obtained within a short time. (author)

Student Use of Animated Pedagogical Agents in a Middle School Science Inquiry Program

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Catherine D. D.

2012-01-01

Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) have the potential to provide one-on-one, just-in-time instruction, guidance or mentoring in classrooms where such individualized human interactions may be infeasible. Much current APA research focuses on a wide range of design variables tested with small samples or in laboratory settings, while overlooking…

Rodent stereotaxic surgery and animal welfare outcome improvements for behavioral neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Fornari, Raquel V; Wichmann, Romy; Atsak, Piray; Atucha, Erika; Barsegyan, Areg; Beldjoud, Hassiba; Messanvi, Fany; Thuring, Catriene M A; Roozendaal, Benno

2012-01-30

Stereotaxic surgery for the implantation of cannulae into specific brain regions has for many decades been a very successful experimental technique to investigate the effects of locally manipulated neurotransmitter and signaling pathways in awake, behaving animals. Moreover, the stereotaxic implantation of electrodes for electrophysiological stimulation and recording studies has been instrumental to our current understanding of neuroplasticity and brain networks in behaving animals. Ever-increasing knowledge about optimizing surgical techniques in rodents(1-4), public awareness concerning animal welfare issues and stringent legislation (e.g., the 2010 European Union Directive on the use of laboratory animals(5)) prompted us to refine these surgical procedures, particularly with respect to implementing new procedures for oxygen supplementation and the continuous monitoring of blood oxygenation and heart rate levels during the surgery as well as introducing a standardized protocol for post-surgical care. Our observations indicate that these modifications resulted in an increased survival rate and an improvement in the general condition of the animals after surgery (e.g. less weight loss and a more active animal). This video presentation will show the general procedures involved in this type of stereotaxic surgery with special attention to our several modifications. We will illustrate these surgical procedures in rats, but it is also possible to perform this type of surgery in mice or other small laboratory animals by using special adaptors for the stereotaxic apparatus(6).

Prevention of occupational risks in animal experimentation; Prevencion de riesgos laborales en experimentacion animal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinez Palacio, J. (ed.)

2007-07-01

This work focuses on the main specific risks for those working with laboratory animals in a Research Center such as CIEMAT. First we present the general biological risks, their laws and rules. Next, we development the specific risks associated with the laboratory animals, zoonotic diseases and allergies. then we deal with the risks that can be consequence of working with laboratory animals, ionizing radiations, chemical products, genetically modified organisms, liquid nitrogen management, bio containment and human samples management. As they are subjects of interest, we also include the workers health assesment for those exposed to biological agents, including recommendations about hygiene and disinfections. (Author)

Transnational organizational considerations for sociocultural differences in ethics and virtual team functioning in laboratory animal science.

Science.gov (United States)

Pritt, Stacy L; Mackta, Jayne

2010-05-01

Business models for transnational organizations include linking different geographies through common codes of conduct, policies, and virtual teams. Global companies with laboratory animal science activities (whether outsourced or performed inhouse) often see the need for these business activities in relation to animal-based research and benefit from them. Global biomedical research organizations can learn how to better foster worldwide cooperation and teamwork by understanding and working with sociocultural differences in ethics and by knowing how to facilitate appropriate virtual team actions. Associated practices include implementing codes and policies transcend cultural, ethnic, or other boundaries and equipping virtual teams with the needed technology, support, and rewards to ensure timely and productive work that ultimately promotes good science and patient safety in drug development.

76 FR 65109 - New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol; Monensin; Tylosin

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-20

.... FDA-2011-N-0003] New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol; Monensin; Tylosin AGENCY...) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Ivy Laboratories, Division of Ivy Animal Health, Inc. The...

Evaluation of Matrix9 silicon photomultiplier array for small-animal PET

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Junwei; Schmall, Jeffrey P.; Yang, Yongfeng; Di, Kun; Roncali, Emilie; Mitchell, Gregory S.; Buckley, Steve; Jackson, Carl; Cherry, Simon R.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The MatrixSL-9-30035-OEM (Matrix9) from SensL is a large-area silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetector module consisting of a 3 × 3 array of 4 × 4 element SiPM arrays (total of 144 SiPM pixels) and incorporates SensL’s front-end electronics board and coincidence board. Each SiPM pixel measures 3.16 × 3.16 mm2 and the total size of the detector head is 47.8 × 46.3 mm2. Using 8 × 8 polished LSO/LYSO arrays (pitch 1.5 mm) the performance of this detector system (SiPM array and readout electronics) was evaluated with a view for its eventual use in small-animal positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: Measurements of noise, signal, signal-to-noise ratio, energy resolution, flood histogram quality, timing resolution, and array trigger error were obtained at different bias voltages (28.0–32.5 V in 0.5 V intervals) and at different temperatures (5 °C–25 °C in 5 °C degree steps) to find the optimal operating conditions. Results: The best measured signal-to-noise ratio and flood histogram quality for 511 keV gamma photons were obtained at a bias voltage of 30.0 V and a temperature of 5 °C. The energy resolution and timing resolution under these conditions were 14.2% ± 0.1% and 4.2 ± 0.1 ns, respectively. The flood histograms show that all the crystals in the 1.5 mm pitch LSO array can be clearly identified and that smaller crystal pitches can also be resolved. Flood histogram quality was also calculated using different center of gravity based positioning algorithms. Improved and more robust results were achieved using the local 9 pixels for positioning along with an energy offset calibration. To evaluate the front-end detector readout, and multiplexing efficiency, an array trigger error metric is introduced and measured at different lower energy thresholds. Using a lower energy threshold greater than 150 keV effectively eliminates any mispositioning between SiPM arrays. Conclusions: In summary, the Matrix9 detector system can resolve

Evaluation of Matrix9 silicon photomultiplier array for small-animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Junwei; Schmall, Jeffrey P.; Yang, Yongfeng; Di, Kun; Roncali, Emilie; Mitchell, Gregory S.; Buckley, Steve; Jackson, Carl; Cherry, Simon R.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The MatrixSL-9-30035-OEM (Matrix9) from SensL is a large-area silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetector module consisting of a 3 × 3 array of 4 × 4 element SiPM arrays (total of 144 SiPM pixels) and incorporates SensL’s front-end electronics board and coincidence board. Each SiPM pixel measures 3.16 × 3.16 mm 2 and the total size of the detector head is 47.8 × 46.3 mm 2 . Using 8 × 8 polished LSO/LYSO arrays (pitch 1.5 mm) the performance of this detector system (SiPM array and readout electronics) was evaluated with a view for its eventual use in small-animal positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: Measurements of noise, signal, signal-to-noise ratio, energy resolution, flood histogram quality, timing resolution, and array trigger error were obtained at different bias voltages (28.0–32.5 V in 0.5 V intervals) and at different temperatures (5 °C–25 °C in 5 °C degree steps) to find the optimal operating conditions. Results: The best measured signal-to-noise ratio and flood histogram quality for 511 keV gamma photons were obtained at a bias voltage of 30.0 V and a temperature of 5 °C. The energy resolution and timing resolution under these conditions were 14.2% ± 0.1% and 4.2 ± 0.1 ns, respectively. The flood histograms show that all the crystals in the 1.5 mm pitch LSO array can be clearly identified and that smaller crystal pitches can also be resolved. Flood histogram quality was also calculated using different center of gravity based positioning algorithms. Improved and more robust results were achieved using the local 9 pixels for positioning along with an energy offset calibration. To evaluate the front-end detector readout, and multiplexing efficiency, an array trigger error metric is introduced and measured at different lower energy thresholds. Using a lower energy threshold greater than 150 keV effectively eliminates any mispositioning between SiPM arrays. Conclusions: In summary, the Matrix9 detector system can

Determination of tolerance dose uncertainties and optimal design of dose response experiments with small animal numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karger, C.P.; Hartmann, G.H.

2001-01-01

Background: Dose response experiments aim to determine the complication probability as a function of dose. Adjusting the parameters of the frequently used dose response model P(D)=1/[1+(D 50 /D) k ] to the experimental data, 2 intuitive quantities are obtained: The tolerance dose D 50 and the slope parameter k. For mathematical reasons, however, standard statistic software uses a different set of parameters. Therefore, the resulting fit parameters of the statistic software as well as their standard errors have to be transformed to obtain D 50 and k as well as their standard errors. Material and Methods: The influence of the number of dose levels on the uncertainty of the fit parameters is studied by a simulation for a fixed number of animals. For experiments with small animal numbers, statistical artifacts may prevent the determination of the standard errors of the fit parameters. Consequences on the design of dose response experiments are investigated. Results: Explicit formulas are presented, which allow to calculate the parameters D 50 and k as well as their standard errors from the output of standard statistic software. The simulation shows, that the standard errors of the resulting parameters are independent of the number of dose levels, as long as the total number of animals involved in the experiment, remains constant. Conclusion: Statistical artifacts in experiments containing small animal numbers may be prevented by an adequate design of the experiment. For this, it is suggested to select a higher number of dose levels, rather than using a higher number of animals per dose level. (orig.) [de

A computational pipeline for quantification of pulmonary infections in small animal models using serial PET-CT imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagci, Ulas; Foster, Brent; Miller-Jaster, Kirsten; Luna, Brian; Dey, Bappaditya; Bishai, William R; Jonsson, Colleen B; Jain, Sanjay; Mollura, Daniel J

2013-07-23

Infectious diseases are the second leading cause of death worldwide. In order to better understand and treat them, an accurate evaluation using multi-modal imaging techniques for anatomical and functional characterizations is needed. For non-invasive imaging techniques such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), there have been many engineering improvements that have significantly enhanced the resolution and contrast of the images, but there are still insufficient computational algorithms available for researchers to use when accurately quantifying imaging data from anatomical structures and functional biological processes. Since the development of such tools may potentially translate basic research into the clinic, this study focuses on the development of a quantitative and qualitative image analysis platform that provides a computational radiology perspective for pulmonary infections in small animal models. Specifically, we designed (a) a fast and robust automated and semi-automated image analysis platform and a quantification tool that can facilitate accurate diagnostic measurements of pulmonary lesions as well as volumetric measurements of anatomical structures, and incorporated (b) an image registration pipeline to our proposed framework for volumetric comparison of serial scans. This is an important investigational tool for small animal infectious disease models that can help advance researchers' understanding of infectious diseases. We tested the utility of our proposed methodology by using sequentially acquired CT and PET images of rabbit, ferret, and mouse models with respiratory infections of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), H1N1 flu virus, and an aerosolized respiratory pathogen (necrotic TB) for a total of 92, 44, and 24 scans for the respective studies with half of the scans from CT and the other half from PET. Institutional Administrative Panel on Laboratory Animal Care approvals were

Emerging technologies in education and training: applications for the laboratory animal science community.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Niemi, Steven M

2007-01-01

This article examines several new and exciting communication technologies. Many of the technologies were developed by the entertainment industry; however, other industries are adopting and modifying them for their own needs. These new technologies allow people to collaborate across distance and time and to learn in simulated work contexts. The article explores the potential utility of these technologies for advancing laboratory animal care and use through better education and training. Descriptions include emerging technologies such as augmented reality and multi-user virtual environments, which offer new approaches with different capabilities. Augmented reality interfaces, characterized by the use of handheld computers to infuse the virtual world into the real one, result in deeply immersive simulations. In these simulations, users can access virtual resources and communicate with real and virtual participants. Multi-user virtual environments enable multiple participants to simultaneously access computer-based three-dimensional virtual spaces, called "worlds," and to interact with digital tools. They allow for authentic experiences that promote collaboration, mentoring, and communication. Because individuals may learn or train differently, it is advantageous to combine the capabilities of these technologies and applications with more traditional methods to increase the number of students who are served by using current methods alone. The use of these technologies in animal care and use programs can create detailed training and education environments that allow students to learn the procedures more effectively, teachers to assess their progress more objectively, and researchers to gain insights into animal care.

Hyperspectral and multispectral bioluminescence optical tomography for small animal imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudhari, Abhijit J; Darvas, Felix; Bading, James R; Moats, Rex A; Conti, Peter S; Smith, Desmond J; Cherry, Simon R; Leahy, Richard M

2005-01-01

For bioluminescence imaging studies in small animals, it is important to be able to accurately localize the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of the underlying bioluminescent source. The spectrum of light produced by the source that escapes the subject varies with the depth of the emission source because of the wavelength-dependence of the optical properties of tissue. Consequently, multispectral or hyperspectral data acquisition should help in the 3D localization of deep sources. In this paper, we describe a framework for fully 3D bioluminescence tomographic image acquisition and reconstruction that exploits spectral information. We describe regularized tomographic reconstruction techniques that use semi-infinite slab or FEM-based diffusion approximations of photon transport through turbid media. Singular value decomposition analysis was used for data dimensionality reduction and to illustrate the advantage of using hyperspectral rather than achromatic data. Simulation studies in an atlas-mouse geometry indicated that sub-millimeter resolution may be attainable given accurate knowledge of the optical properties of the animal. A fixed arrangement of mirrors and a single CCD camera were used for simultaneous acquisition of multispectral imaging data over most of the surface of the animal. Phantom studies conducted using this system demonstrated our ability to accurately localize deep point-like sources and show that a resolution of 1.5 to 2.2 mm for depths up to 6 mm can be achieved. We also include an in vivo study of a mouse with a brain tumour expressing firefly luciferase. Co-registration of the reconstructed 3D bioluminescent image with magnetic resonance images indicated good anatomical localization of the tumour

Online virtual isocenter based radiation field targeting for high performance small animal microirradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, James M. P.; Ansell, Steve; Lindsay, Patricia E.; Jaffray, David A.

2015-12-01

Advances in precision microirradiators for small animal radiation oncology studies have provided the framework for novel translational radiobiological studies. Such systems target radiation fields at the scale required for small animal investigations, typically through a combination of on-board computed tomography image guidance and fixed, interchangeable collimators. Robust targeting accuracy of these radiation fields remains challenging, particularly at the millimetre scale field sizes achievable by the majority of microirradiators. Consistent and reproducible targeting accuracy is further hindered as collimators are removed and inserted during a typical experimental workflow. This investigation quantified this targeting uncertainty and developed an online method based on a virtual treatment isocenter to actively ensure high performance targeting accuracy for all radiation field sizes. The results indicated that the two-dimensional field placement uncertainty was as high as 1.16 mm at isocenter, with simulations suggesting this error could be reduced to 0.20 mm using the online correction method. End-to-end targeting analysis of a ball bearing target on radiochromic film sections showed an improved targeting accuracy with the three-dimensional vector targeting error across six different collimators reduced from 0.56+/- 0.05 mm (mean  ±  SD) to 0.05+/- 0.05 mm for an isotropic imaging voxel size of 0.1 mm.

Multi-modality image reconstruction for dual-head small-animal PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Chang-Han; Chou, Cheng-Ying

2015-01-01

The hybrid positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) or positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) has become routine practice in clinics. The applications of multi-modality imaging can also benefit research advances. Consequently, dedicated small-imaging system like dual-head small-animal PET (DHAPET) that possesses the advantages of high detection sensitivity and high resolution can exploit the structural information from CT or MRI. It should be noted that the special detector arrangement in DHAPET leads to severe data truncation, thereby degrading the image quality. We proposed to take advantage of anatomical priors and total variation (TV) minimization methods to reconstruct PET activity distribution form incomplete measurement data. The objective is to solve the penalized least-squares function consisted of data fidelity term, TV norm and medium root priors. In this work, we employed the splitting-based fast iterative shrinkage/thresholding algorithm to split smooth and non-smooth functions in the convex optimization problems. Our simulations studies validated that the images reconstructed by use of the proposed method can outperform those obtained by use of conventional expectation maximization algorithms or that without considering the anatomical prior information. Additionally, the convergence rate is also accelerated.

Development of a simple photon emission computed tomography dedicated to the small animal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekaert, V.

2006-11-01

The development of in vivo small animal imaging becomes essential to study human pathologies. The ImaBio project of Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC) fits in the process of developing new instruments for biomedical applications with the development of a multimodality imaging platform dedicated to small animal imaging (AMISSA). This thesis presents the study, the design and the development of a Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) which will be integrated to the AMISSA platform. The result of these developments is the possibility to obtain the spatial distribution of an injected molecule into the animal. The SPECT technical solutions are based on the acquired knowledge of the institute allowing the conception of a device with cameras adapted to the gamma detection produced by the radiotracers used in single photon imaging. In order to cover the entire of the transverse field of view, four gamma cameras are arranged in a ring around the volume of interest. Each camera consists of 5 individual modules based on a YAP:Ce crystal array, a multi-anode photomultiplier and a dedicated multichannel electronic device. Finally, 20 detection modules were calibrated to give the same result for an identical energy deposit. The data are acquired then process to extract the positions and the energies deposited by gamma photons in the crystals. This last information is then gathered to build the projections. The 3D reconstructed image from the projections is carried out by the sequence of two algorithms, analytical and iterative OS-EM, both modified to take into account the singular geometry of our detection system. Finally, the obtained image is fused with the anatomical information given by the micro Computed Tomography system. (author)

Metal metabolism in laboratory animals and human tissues as investigated by neutron activation analysis: current status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabbioni, E.; Pietra, R.; Marafante, E.

1982-01-01

The definition of dose-response relationships in man is the essential requisite to set scientifically health protection standards for the evaluation of a safe level exposure of humans to heavy metals. The derivation of these relationships requires sequential multidisciplinary informations including data on metabolic patterns and biochemical effects in mammals. Unfortunately, sufficient data are not available to establish dose-response curves expecially in long term-low level exposure conditions and a need exists to gather such informations for each metal on absorption, distribution and excretion in laboratory animals and humans. This paper: (1) discuss main problems related to the use of neutron activation analysis (NAA) in metallobiochemistry of present levels of trace elements; (2) report data on the current applications of NAA in metallobiochemistry in relation to the work carried out in the context of a project Heavy Metal Pollution of CEC JRC - Ispra. Applications deal with in vivo studies on laboratory animals, in vitro studies on biochemical systems and experiments on tissues of human origin; (3) discuss the perspectives of the use of the nuclear techniques in the environmental toxicology. (author)

Evaluation of attenuation and scatter correction requirements in small animal PET and SPECT imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Konik, Arda Bekir

Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) are two nuclear emission-imaging modalities that rely on the detection of high-energy photons emitted from radiotracers administered to the subject. The majority of these photons are attenuated (absorbed or scattered) in the body, resulting in count losses or deviations from true detection, which in turn degrades the accuracy of images. In clinical emission tomography, sophisticated correction methods are often required employing additional x-ray CT or radionuclide transmission scans. Having proven their potential in both clinical and research areas, both PET and SPECT are being adapted for small animal imaging. However, despite the growing interest in small animal emission tomography, little scientific information exists about the accuracy of these correction methods on smaller size objects, and what level of correction is required. The purpose of this work is to determine the role of attenuation and scatter corrections as a function of object size through simulations. The simulations were performed using Interactive Data Language (IDL) and a Monte Carlo based package, Geant4 application for emission tomography (GATE). In IDL simulations, PET and SPECT data acquisition were modeled in the presence of attenuation. A mathematical emission and attenuation phantom approximating a thorax slice and slices from real PET/CT data were scaled to 5 different sizes (i.e., human, dog, rabbit, rat and mouse). The simulated emission data collected from these objects were reconstructed. The reconstructed images, with and without attenuation correction, were compared to the ideal (i.e., non-attenuated) reconstruction. Next, using GATE, scatter fraction values (the ratio of the scatter counts to the total counts) of PET and SPECT scanners were measured for various sizes of NEMA (cylindrical phantoms representing small animals and human), MOBY (realistic mouse/rat model) and XCAT (realistic human model

Development of a Compton suppression whole body counting for small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martini, Elaine

1995-01-01

The basic operation, design and construction of the plastic scintillator detector is described. In order to increase the sensitivity of this detector, two blocks of plastic scintillator have been assembled to act as a anticompton system. The detectors were produced by polymerisation of styrene monomer with PPO (2,5 diphenyl-oxazole) and POPOP (1,4 bis (-5 phenyl-2- oxazoly)benzene) in proportions of 0.5 and 0.05 respectively. The transparency of this detector was evaluated by excitation of the 241 Am source located directly in the back surface plastic coupled to a photomultiplier. The light attenuation according to the detector thickness has fitted to a two-exponential function: relative height pulse = 0,519 e -0.0016 + 0.481 e -0.02112.x . Four radioactive sources 2 2 Na, 54 Mn, 137 Cs and 131 I were used to evaluate the performance of this system. The Compton reduction factor, determined by the ratio of the energy peak values of suppressed and unsuppressed spectra was 1.16. The Compton suppression factor determined by the ratio of the net photopeak area to the area of an equal spectra width in the Compton continuum, was approximately 1.208 ± 0.109. The sensitivity of the system, defined as the least amount of a radioactivity that can be quantified in the photopeak region, was 9.44 cps. First, the detector was assembled to be applied in biological studies of whole body counter measurements of small animals. Using a phantom, (small animal simulator) and a punctual 137 Cs source, located in the central region of the well counter the geometrical efficiency detector was about 5%. (author)

Critical analysis for physical adaptation and implementation of new procedures in the IPEN'S laboratory animal division

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lainetti, Elizabeth Brigadao de Faria

2009-01-01

The production and the supply of high quality laboratory animals have fundamental importance for the accomplishment of vanguard scientific research, with reproducibility and universality. The quality of those animals depends, largely, of the available facilities for their production and lodging, to assure the demanded sanitary control and animals' welfare, in agreement with the ethical principles that control the activity. The facilities also have to fill out other requirements, such as: the functionality of the environments to make possible the suitable and efficient handling of the animals, facilitating the execution of the routine activities; the respect to ergonomic principles to provide a safe environment and the operators' well being. The facilities design is of vital importance so that the mentioned requirements can be reached. The project of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) Animal House Facilities was accomplished in the year of 1964. However, by that time there were not the current recommendations with respect to the sanitary, genetic and environmental controls. The facility was planned with the objective of being a production unit and a local for keeping of defined animals from sanitary, genetic and environmental point of view. Nevertheless, the original unit drawing presents an unsuitable distribution of the area where animals are stocked and also different activities are performed. The Animal House Facilities occupy an area of 840 m2, with one pavement, where the production areas and the stock of original animal models of the own Institution are distributed, as well as the maintenance of animals from other national or foreigner institutions. It supplies rats and mice for biological tests of radiopharmaceutical lots, produced in IPEN, before they be sent to hospitals and clinics spread out in Brazil, for use in Nuclear Medicine. It also supplies rats and mice for tests of dental materials, for tests with growth hormones and for researches

Ethics and Animal Experimentation in the Laboratory. A Critical Analysis of the Arguments for"Animal Rights"and"Animal Equality"

OpenAIRE

Tagha, Yuninui Eric

2005-01-01

Growing up as a child, we had a Dog. To us, it was like a means to an end. That is, hunting other animals for food and for protection, with no special care and treatment given to this animal. Butas days passed by I began to witness a wind of change against such actions. I was made to understand that we were committing two crimes-: using the Dog as a means to an end (for hunting and for eating animals). Today almost every newspaper has something to say about the treatment of animals by humans,...

Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A. Joe [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Loo, Billy W., E-mail: BWLoo@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Maxim, Peter G., E-mail: PMaxim@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States); Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California (United States)

2017-01-01

Purpose: A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, “FLASH”) potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). Methods and Materials: We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Results: Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. Conclusions: We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community.

Experimental Platform for Ultra-high Dose Rate FLASH Irradiation of Small Animals Using a Clinical Linear Accelerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Schüler, Emil; Trovati, Stefania; King, Gregory; Lartey, Frederick; Rafat, Marjan; Villegas, Manuel; Praxel, A Joe; Loo, Billy W; Maxim, Peter G

2017-01-01

A key factor limiting the effectiveness of radiation therapy is normal tissue toxicity, and recent preclinical data have shown that ultra-high dose rate irradiation (>50 Gy/s, "FLASH") potentially mitigates this effect. However, research in this field has been strongly limited by the availability of FLASH irradiators suitable for small animal experiments. We present a simple methodologic approach for FLASH electron small animal irradiation with a clinically available linear accelerator (LINAC). We investigated the FLASH irradiation potential of a Varian Clinac 21EX in both clinical mode and after tuning of the LINAC. We performed detailed FLUKA Monte Carlo and experimental dosimetric characterization at multiple experimental locations within the LINAC head. Average dose rates of ≤74 Gy/s were achieved in clinical mode, and the dose rate after tuning exceeded 900 Gy/s. We obtained 220 Gy/s at 1-cm depth for a >4-cm field size with 90% homogeneity throughout a 2-cm-thick volume. We present an approach for using a clinical LINAC for FLASH irradiation. We obtained dose rates exceeding 200 Gy/s after simple tuning of the LINAC, with excellent dosimetric properties for small animal experiments. This will allow for increased availability of FLASH irradiation to the general research community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microscopy of bacterial translocation during small bowel obstruction and ischemia in vivo – a new animal model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hafner Mathias

2002-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Existing animal models provide only indirect information about the pathogenesis of infections caused by indigenous gastrointestinal microflora and the kinetics of bacterial translocation. The aim of this study was to develop a novel animal model to assess bacterial translocation and intestinal barrier function in vivo. Methods In anaesthetized male Wistar rats, 0.5 ml of a suspension of green fluorescent protein-transfected E. coli was administered by intraluminal injection in a model of small bowel obstruction. Animals were randomly subjected to non-ischemic or ischemic bowel obstruction. Ischemia was induced by selective clamping of the terminal mesenteric vessels feeding the obstructed bowel loop. Time intervals necessary for translocation of E. coli into the submucosal stroma and the muscularis propria was assessed using intravital microscopy. Results Bacterial translocation into the submucosa and muscularis propria took a mean of 36 ± 8 min and 80 ± 10 min, respectively, in small bowel obstruction. Intestinal ischemia significantly accelerated bacterial translocation into the submucosa (11 ± 5 min, p E. coli were visible in frozen sections of small bowel, mesentery, liver and spleen taken two hours after E. coli administration. Conclusions Intravital microscopy of fluorescent bacteria is a novel approach to study bacterial translocation in vivo. We have applied this technique to define minimal bacterial transit time as a functional parameter of intestinal barrier function.

Risk factors associated with airway allergic diseases from exposure to laboratory animal allergens among veterinarians.

Science.gov (United States)

Krakowiak, Anna; Wiszniewska, Marta; Krawczyk, Patrycja; Szulc, Bogdan; Wittczak, Tomasz; Walusiak, Jolanta; Pałczynski, Cezary

2007-05-01

Investigate the risk factors for the development of occupational airway allergy (OAA) from exposure to laboratory animal allergens (LAA) among Polish veterinarians. Two hundred veterinarians responded to the questionnaire and were subjected to skin prick test (SPT) to common allergens and LAA (rat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit). Evaluation of total serum IgE level and specific IgE against occupational allergens was performed. In addition, bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were measured before and after specific challenge testing (SCT) only in the subjects with work-related symptoms suggestive of occupational asthma (OA). The prevalence of asthmatic and ocular symptoms was statistically more prevalent in the group of veterinarians sensitised to LAA versus non-sensitised subjects. The most frequent occupational allergens of skin and serum reactivity were LAA (44.5 and 31.5%, respectively). In 41 (20.5%) and in 22 (11%) subjects out of 200 veterinarians, serum specific IgE to natural rubber latex (NRL) allergens and disinfectants was also found. Serum sensitisation to cat allergens and daily contact with laboratory animals (LA) increased the risk for developing isolated occupational rhinitis. Furthermore, working time of more than 10 years and daily contact with LA were also significant risk factors for the development of OAA. Measuring PEFR and BHR before and after SCT is a useful method to confirm the presence of OA. Allergy to LAA is an important health problem among veterinary medicine practitioners in Poland.

Relative sensitivity of conventional and real-time PCR assays for detection of SFG Rickettsia in blood and tissue samples from laboratory animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Zemtsova, Galina E; Montgomery, Merrill; Levin, Michael L

2015-01-01

Studies on the natural transmission cycles of zoonotic pathogens and the reservoir competence of vertebrate hosts require methods for reliable diagnosis of infection in wild and laboratory animals. Several PCR-based applications have been developed for detection of infections caused by Spotted Fever group Rickettsia spp. in a variety of animal tissues. These assays are being widely used by researchers, but they differ in their sensitivity and reliability. We compared the sensitivity of five previously published conventional PCR assays and one SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay for the detection of rickettsial DNA in blood and tissue samples from Rickettsia- infected laboratory animals (n = 87). The real-time PCR, which detected rickettsial DNA in 37.9% of samples, was the most sensitive. The next best were the semi-nested ompA assay and rpoB conventional PCR, which detected as positive 18.4% and 14.9% samples respectively. Conventional assays targeting ompB, gltA and hrtA genes have been the least sensitive. Therefore, we recommend the SYBR green-based real-time PCR as a tool for the detection of rickettsial DNA in animal samples due to its higher sensitivity when compared to more traditional assays.

75 FR 20917 - New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol, Monensin, and Ractopamine

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-22

.... FDA-2010-N-0002] New Animal Drugs for Use in Animal Feeds; Melengestrol, Monensin, and Ractopamine... (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Ivy Laboratories, Div. of Ivy Animal Health, Inc. The...

Developments in undergraduate teaching of small-animal soft-tissue surgical skills at the University of Sydney.

Science.gov (United States)

Gopinath, Deepa; McGreevy, Paul D; Zuber, Richard M; Klupiec, Corinna; Baguley, John; Barrs, Vanessa R

2012-01-01

This article discusses recent developments in soft-tissue surgery teaching at the University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science. An integrated teaching program was developed for Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) students with the aim of providing them with optimal learning opportunities to meet "Day One" small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies. Didactic lectures and tutorials were introduced earlier into the curriculum to prepare students for live-animal surgery practical. In addition to existing clinics, additional spay/neuter clinics were established in collaboration with animal welfare organizations to increase student exposure to live-animal surgery. A silicon-based, life-like canine ovariohysterectomy model was developed with the assistance of a model-making and special effects company. The model features elastic ovarian pedicles and suspensory ligaments, which can be stretched and broken like those of an actual dog. To monitor the volume and type of student surgical experience, an E-portfolio resource was established. This resource allows for the tracking of numbers of live, student-performed desexing surgeries and incorporates competency-based assessments and reflective tasks to be completed by students. Student feedback on the integrated surgical soft-tissue teaching program was assessed. Respondents were assessed in the fourth year of the degree and will have further opportunities to develop Day One small-animal soft-tissue surgical competencies in the fifth year. Ninety-four percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were motivated to participate in all aspects of the program, while 78% agreed or strongly agreed that they received an adequate opportunity to develop their skills and confidence in ovariohysterectomy or castration procedures through the fourth-year curriculum.

Animal models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gøtze, Jens Peter; Krentz, Andrew

2014-01-01

In this issue of Cardiovascular Endocrinology, we are proud to present a broad and dedicated spectrum of reviews on animal models in cardiovascular disease. The reviews cover most aspects of animal models in science from basic differences and similarities between small animals and the human...

Improved instrumentation for blood flow velocity measurements in the microcirculation of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesquita, Jayme Alves Jr. de; Bouskela, Eliete; Wajnberg, Eliane; Lopes de Melo, Pedro

2007-01-01

Microcirculation is the generic name of vessels with internal diameter less than 100 μm of the circulatory system, whose main functions are tissue nutrition and oxygen supply. In microcirculatory studies, it is important to know the amount of oxyhemoglobin present in the blood and how fast it is moving. The present work describes improvements introduced in a classical hardware-based instrument that has usually been used to monitor blood flow velocity in the microcirculation of small animals. It consists of a virtual instrument that can be easily incorporated into existing hardware-based systems, contributing to reduce operator related biases and allowing digital processing and storage. The design and calibration of the modified instrument are described as well as in vitro and in vivo results obtained with electrical models and small animals, respectively. Results obtained in in vivo studies showed that this new system is able to detect a small reduction in blood flow velocity comparing arteries and arterioles (p<0.002) and a further reduction in capillaries (p<0.0001). A significant increase in velocity comparing capillaries and venules (p<0.001) and venules and veins (p<0.001) was also observed. These results are in close agreement with biophysical principles. Moreover, the improvements introduced in the device allowed us to clearly observe changes in blood flow introduced by a pharmacological intervention, suggesting that the system has enough temporal resolution to track these microcirculatory events. These results were also in close conformity to physiology, confirming the high scientific potential of the modified system and indicating that this instrument can also be useful for pharmacological evaluations

Use of Laboratory Animals in Biomedical and Behavioral Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Ministry of Education, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

The use of animals in scientific research has been a controversial issue for over a hundred years. Research with animals has saved human lives, lessened human suffering, and advanced scientific understanding, yet that same research can cause pain and distress for the animals involved and may result in their death. It is hardly surprising that…

Discrete tomography in an in vivo small animal bone study.

Science.gov (United States)

Van de Casteele, Elke; Perilli, Egon; Van Aarle, Wim; Reynolds, Karen J; Sijbers, Jan

2018-01-01

This study aimed at assessing the feasibility of a discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART) to be used in in vivo small animal bone studies. The advantage of discrete tomography is the possibility to reduce the amount of X-ray projection images, which makes scans faster and implies also a significant reduction of radiation dose, without compromising the reconstruction results. Bone studies are ideal for being performed with discrete tomography, due to the relatively small number of attenuation coefficients contained in the image [namely three: background (air), soft tissue and bone]. In this paper, a validation is made by comparing trabecular bone morphometric parameters calculated from images obtained by using DART and the commonly used standard filtered back-projection (FBP). Female rats were divided into an ovariectomized (OVX) and a sham-operated group. In vivo micro-CT scanning of the tibia was done at baseline and at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. The cross-section images were reconstructed using first the full set of projection images and afterwards reducing them in number to a quarter and one-sixth (248, 62, 42 projection images, respectively). For both reconstruction methods, similar changes in morphometric parameters were observed over time: bone loss for OVX and bone growth for sham-operated rats, although for DART the actual values were systematically higher (bone volume fraction) or lower (structure model index) compared to FBP, depending on the morphometric parameter. The DART algorithm was, however, more robust when using fewer projection images, where the standard FBP reconstruction was more prone to noise, showing a significantly bigger deviation from the morphometric parameters obtained using all projection images. This study supports the use of DART as a potential alternative method to FBP in X-ray micro-CT animal studies, in particular, when the number of projections has to be drastically minimized, which directly reduces

Imaging of hypoxia in small animals with 18F fluoromisonidasole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kilian Krzysztof

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A method of automated synthesis of [18F]fluoromisonidazole ([18F]FMISO for application in preclinical studies on small animals was presented. A remote-controlled synthesizer Synthra RNplus was used for nucleophilic substitution of NITTP (1′-(2′-nitro-1-imidazolyl-2-O-tetrahydropyranyl-3-O-toluenesulfonyl-propanediol with 18F anion. Labeling of 5 mg of precursor was performed in anhydrous acetonitrile at 100°C for 10 min, and the hydrolysis with HCl was performed at 100°C for 5 min. Final purification was done with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC and the radiochemical purity of radiotracer was higher than 99%. Proposed [18F]FMISO synthesis was used as a reliable tool in studies on hypoxia in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC in mouse models.

Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System in Small Animals: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentley, R Timothy; Taylor, Amanda R; Thomovsky, Stephanie A

2018-01-01

Small animal mycoses vary geographically. Different clinical presentations are seen in animals with infection of the central nervous system (CNS), including multifocal meningoencephalomyelitis, intracranial lesions that accompany sinonasal lesions, rapidly progressive ventriculitis, or solitary granuloma of the brain or spinal cord. Systemic, nasal, or extraneural clinical signs are common but, especially in granuloma cases, do not always occur. Surgery may have a diagnostic and therapeutic role in CNS granuloma. There have been recent advancements in serology. Fluconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole cross the blood-brain barrier, but voriconazole is neurotoxic to cats. Liposomal and lipid-encapsulated formulations of amphotericin B are preferred. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study and development of a high resolution tomograph for the γ radio-imagery in vivo of small animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valda Ochoa, A.

1995-01-01

By the use of molecular radio-labelled tracers, molecular biology can reveal some aspects of the functional organisation of the brain. Non invasive in vivo brain research on small laboratory animals, like mice or rats, require analysis of structures of some cubic millimeters present in a brain of the order of a cubic centimeter. Since imaging performances of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) fail in this research field, we present here a high resolution tomograph (TOHR) based on an original principle that allows to overcome the compromise between detection efficiency and spatial resolution. TOHR is a radiation counter device having a large solid angle focusing collimator. By the use of radio-tracers decaying by a cascade of two photons, coincidence detection offers an accurate delimitation of the analysed region and improves spatial resolution. TOHR acts as a scanner, so the image is built voxel by voxel by moving the animal relative to the detector. A numerical feasibility study of such a system shows that a sub millimeter spatial resolution can be achieved. We show that the chemical etching technique is well suited for manufacturing a multi-module focusing collimator by building and testing two such modules. Finally a numerical simulation exhibits TOHR's performance in a neuro-pharmacological experiment on a rat. From these results, other application of TOHR are envisaged, such as oncology (in vivo evolution of tumours) or gene therapy (distribution of viral particles in the brain). (author). 51 refs., 73 figs., 3 tabs

Effect of National Football League games on small animal emergency room caseload.

Science.gov (United States)

Rozanski, Elizabeth A; Rondeau, Mark P; Shaw, Scott P; Rush, John E

2009-07-01

To evaluate whether games of popular professional football teams have an effect on small animal emergency room caseload and percentage of dogs and cats that subsequently are hospitalized, are euthanatized, or die following admission to veterinary emergency rooms located within a dedicated fan base. Prospective study. 818 dogs and cats admitted to the emergency room. During the 2007 New England Patriots (NEP) football season, small animal emergency room caseload was recorded for Sunday (4-hour blocks, 8:00 AM until 12:00 midnight) and Monday night (7:00 PM to 11:00 PM). Number of dogs and cats that subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized was recorded. Mean game importance rating (GIR) was determined for NEP games (scale, 1 [mild] to 3 [great]). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 1.7) versus non-NEP games was not different. Mean +/- SD percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.4) versus non-NEP games was significantly different (18 +/- 5% and 25 +/- 7% of daily caseload, respectively). Percentage of dogs and cats admitted from 8:00 PM to 12:00 midnight on Sundays during NEP games (mean GIR, 2.1) versus non-NEP games was not different. Game type (NEP vs non-NEP) during emergency room admission did not influence whether dogs and cats subsequently were hospitalized, died, or were euthanatized. Professional sporting events may influence veterinary emergency room caseloads.

The results of the toxicity and hazard studies of isopropyl meta-carborane with single administration to laboratory animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yushkov G.G.

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Intensive research on the chemistry of borohydrides and the creation of high-energy fuels led to the discovery of a completely new type of organoboron compounds, which were collectively called carboranes. Taking into account the scope of application of organoboron compounds in various branches of human economic activity, we present for publication the quantitative data of a toxicological study of the higher isomer of carboranes of isopropyl meta-carborane at the level of a single injection into the laboratory animals through the mouth and lungs. Background. Supplementing data on toxicity and the hazard of organoboron compounds requires the study of the response of the organism to the action of isopropyl meta-carborane. The purpose of the study: identification of possible features and specificity of the toxic effect of carboranes on the example of isopropyl meta-carborane. Methods. The object of the study is nonlinear laboratory animals: rats, mice and rabbits contained in standard vivarium conditions, with observance of the rules of humane treatment of animals. Traditional methods of research (physiological, hematological, morphological have been used. Statistical processing of data was carried out using the programs «Microsoft Office Excel 2007» and «Biostat». Differences were considered statistically significant at p ≤ 0.05, using a parametric test. Results. Acute toxicity parameters were obtained, which allowed the substance to be classified as moderately hazardous (3rd hazard class according to GOST 12.1.007, which does not have selective irritant, pneumotoxic and fibrogenic effects. Conclusion. Thus, the predominant influence of the substance is established objectively with a single exposure to the blood system as its toxicological feature, and its effect on spermatozoa is a specificity of the action, which stimulates the study of this carborane under conditions of chronic administration to the animals.

Induction of a chronic myocardial infarction in the laboratory animal - experimental model

Science.gov (United States)

POP, IONEL CIPRIAN; GRAD, NICOLAE-OVIDIU; PESTEAN, COSMIN; TAULESCU, MARIAN; MIRCEAN, MIRCEA; MIRONIUC, ION-AUREL

2013-01-01

Introduction Ischemic heart disease is a major public health problem in western countries. Appropriate animal experimental models of chronic myocardial infarction is an essential first step in order to investigate and develop new therapeutic interventions. Aim The aim of this study was to find an optimal place for a coronary artery ligation to induce an optimal chronic myocardial infarction and also a new heart approach that will not require oro-tracheal intubation. Material and methods To achieve these goals we used a group of rabbits and after induction of anesthesia and cardiac exposure by rib osteotomy (rib III, IV and V) at the costo-sternal junction level on the right side we performed three different left anterior descending artery (LAD) ligation at different distances (5, 10 and 15 mm) in relation to the apex. Thirty days after the acute myocardial infarction, we correlated laboratory investigations (serology, ECG, cardiac ultrasound) with histopathological findings. Results Heart approach achieved by rib osteotomy (rib III, IV and V) at the costo-sternal junction level on the right side, maintains the integrity of the ribcage, allowing it to take part in respiratory movements and the animal model does not need oro-tracheal intubation. Ligation of LAD at 15 mm from the apex was incompatible with life; ligation of LAD at 5 mm from the apex does not achieved transmural myocardial infarction and ligation of LAD at 10 mm from the apex achieved a transmural myocardial infarction of the left ventricle which also involved the distal part of the interventricular septum. Conclusion Ligation of LAD at 10 mm from the apex achieved a transmural myocardial infarction of the left ventricle, is in an easily accessible area from technical point of view, it is sufficiently expanded to induce hemodynamic effects that can be quantified with paraclinical examination and also it is compatible with the experimental animal life. If the heart is approached by rib III, IV and V

Position-Sensitive Detector with Depth-of-Interaction Determination for Small Animal PET

CERN Document Server

Fedorov, A; Kholmetsky, A L; Korzhik, M V; Lecoq, P; Lobko, A S; Missevitch, O V; Tkatchev, A

2002-01-01

Crystal arrays made of LSO and LuAP crystals 2x2x10 mm pixels were manufactured for evaluation of detector with depth-of-interaction (DOI) determination capability intended for small animal positron emission tomograph. Position-sensitive LSO/LuAP phoswich DOI detector based on crystal 8x8 arrays and HAMAMATSU R5900-00-M64 position-sensitive multi-anode photomultiplier tube was developed and evaluated. Time resolution was found to be not worse than 1.0 ns FWHM for both layers, and spatial resolution mean value was 1.5 mm FWHM for the center of field-of-view.

Engines for experiment: laboratory revolution and industrial labor in the nineteenth-century city.

Science.gov (United States)

Dierig, Sven

2003-01-01

This article brings together what until now have been separate fields of nineteenth-century history: the development of experimental physiology, the growth of mechanized industry, and the city, where their threads intertwined. The main argument is that the laboratory in the city employed the same technological and organizational approaches to modernize that the city used to industrialize. To bring the adoption of technology into focus, the article discusses laboratory research as it developed after the introduction of small-scale power engines. With its machines, the industrialized city provided not only the key metaphor of the nineteenth-century life sciences but also a key technology that shifted experimental practices in animal research from a kind of preindustrial craft to a more mechanized production of knowledge. With its "factory-laboratories," the late-nineteenth-century city became the birthplace for the first living, data-producing hybird---part animal and part machine.

Relative sensitivity of conventional and real-time PCR assays for detection of SFG Rickettsia in blood and tissue samples from laboratory animals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galina E Zemtsova

Full Text Available Studies on the natural transmission cycles of zoonotic pathogens and the reservoir competence of vertebrate hosts require methods for reliable diagnosis of infection in wild and laboratory animals. Several PCR-based applications have been developed for detection of infections caused by Spotted Fever group Rickettsia spp. in a variety of animal tissues. These assays are being widely used by researchers, but they differ in their sensitivity and reliability. We compared the sensitivity of five previously published conventional PCR assays and one SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay for the detection of rickettsial DNA in blood and tissue samples from Rickettsia- infected laboratory animals (n = 87. The real-time PCR, which detected rickettsial DNA in 37.9% of samples, was the most sensitive. The next best were the semi-nested ompA assay and rpoB conventional PCR, which detected as positive 18.4% and 14.9% samples respectively. Conventional assays targeting ompB, gltA and hrtA genes have been the least sensitive. Therefore, we recommend the SYBR green-based real-time PCR as a tool for the detection of rickettsial DNA in animal samples due to its higher sensitivity when compared to more traditional assays.

[F18]-FDG imaging of experimental animal tumours using a hybrid gamma-camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lausson, S.; Maurel, G.; Kerrou, K.; Montravers, F.; Petegnief, Y.; Talbot, J.N.; Fredelizi, D.

2001-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) has been widely used in clinical studies. This technology permits detection of compounds labelled with positron emitting radionuclides and in particular, [F18]-fluorodeoxyglucose ([F18]-FDG).[F18]-FDG uptake and accumulation is generally related to malignancy; some recent works have suggested the usefulness of PET camera dedicated to small laboratory animals (micro-PET). Our study dealt with the feasibility of [F18]-FDG imaging of malignant tumours in animal models by means of an hybrid camera dedicated for human scintigraphy. We evaluated the ability of coincidence detection emission tomography (CDET) using this hybrid camera to visualize in vivo subcutaneous tumours grafted to mice or rats. P815 murine mastocytoma grafted in syngeneic DBA/2 mice resulted with foci of very high FDG uptake. Tumours with a diameter of only 3 mm were clearly visualized. Medullary thyroid cancer provoked by rMTC 6/23 and CA77 lines in syngeneic Wag/Rij rat was also detected. The differentiated CA77 tumours exhibited avidity for [F18]-FDG and a tumour, which was just palpable (diameter lower than 2 mm), was identified. In conclusion, CDET-FDG is a non-invasive imaging tool which can be used to follow grafted tumours in the small laboratory animal, even when their size is smaller than 1 cm. It has the potential to evaluate experimental anticancer treatments in small series of animals by individual follow-up. It offers the opportunity to develop experimental PET research within a nuclear medicine or biophysics department, the shift to a dedicated micro-PET device being subsequently necessary. It is indeed compulsory to strictly follow the rules for non contamination and disinfection of the hybrid camera. (authors)

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnstone, Chris; Bazalova-Carter, Magdalena [University of Victoria (Australia)

2016-08-15

Purpose: To develop quality assurance (QA) standards and tolerance levels for image quality of small animal irradiators. Methods: A fully automated in-house QA software for image analysis of a commercial microCT phantom was created. Quantitative analyses of CT linearity, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uniformity and noise, geometric accuracy, modulation transfer function (MTF), and CT number evaluation was performed. Phantom microCT scans from seven institutions acquired with varying parameters (kVp, mA, time, voxel size, and frame rate) and five irradiator units (Xstrahl SARRP, PXI X-RAD 225Cx, PXI X-RAD SmART, GE explore CT/RT 140, and GE Explore CT 120) were analyzed. Multi-institutional data sets were compared using our in-house software to establish pass/fail criteria for each QA test. Results: CT linearity (R2>0.996) was excellent at all but Institution 2. Acceptable SNR (>35) and noise levels (<55HU) were obtained at four of the seven institutions, where failing scans were acquired with less than 120mAs. Acceptable MTF (>1.5 lp/mm for MTF=0.2) was obtained at all but Institution 6 due to the largest scan voxel size (0.35mm). The geometric accuracy passed (<1.5%) at five of the seven institutions. Conclusion: Our QA software can be used to rapidly perform quantitative imaging QA for small animal irradiators, accumulate results over time, and display possible changes in imaging functionality from its original performance and/or from the recommended tolerance levels. This tool will aid researchers in maintaining high image quality, enabling precise conformal dose delivery to small animals.

Sci-Thur AM: YIS – 08: Automated Imaging Quality Assurance for Image-Guided Small Animal Irradiators