1,721,031 research outputs found
The challenges in establishing HEP in laboratory swine
No full textThe challenges in establishing HEP in laboratory swine
Barone F1, Ventrella D1, Elmi A1, Bacci ML1
1 Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum UNIBO
In 1998 from the International Conference on Humane Endpoints (HEP) in animal experiments for biomedical research emerged that HEPs are part of a dynamic process, influenced by scientific developments as well as by animal welfare concerns as they evolve with time. Nowadays there are several publications regarding criteria, definition and evaluation of HEPs, but mainly related to the most common laboratory animals such as mouse and rats (Aldred et al., 2002; Vlach et al., 2000). In the last years the role of swine as laboratory animal is increasing due to its translational value (Monticello and Haschek, 2016) and relatively lighter ethical implications when compared to the other large animal models. The need for a specific approach for each protocol, and the limited records available (Harvey-Clark et al., 2000; Malavasi et al., 2006), are probably two of the main reasons behind the lack of dedicated HEP guidelines for the laboratory swine. Despite the above-mentioned issues, the Directive 2010/63/EU requires specific HEPs for each submitted protocol, thus the need for more in-depth knowledge regarding pain assessment. A humane endpoint can be considered as a possible refinement alternative for those experiments that involve pain and discomfort to the animals leading to higher quality research without compromising welfare itself. The task of Veterinary Medicine is to find new biomarkers and behavioral patterns in order to provide researchers with accurate tools that allow for a better understanding of objective swine welfare in each experimental condition. Our aim, as veterinary physiologists, is to establish reliable guidelines for an early detection of para-physiological and pathological stress and pain patterns in the laboratory swine. In this abstract we will present our experience collected within the last 30 years regarding different experimental protocols with the swine as laboratory animal for xenotransplantation, endotoxic shock, gastrointestinal inflammation, inherited genetic disease, CNS and ocular disease.
Aldred, A.J., Cha, M.C., Meckling-Gill, K.A., 2002. Determination of a humane endpoint in the L1210 model of murine leukemia. Contemp. Top. Lab. Anim. Sci. Am. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci. 41, 24–27.
Harvey-Clark, C.J., Gilespie, K., Riggs, K.W., 2000. Transdermal fentanyl compared with parenteral buprenorphine in post-surgical pain in swine: a case study. Lab. Anim. 34, 386–398.
Malavasi, L.M., Nyman, G., Augustsson, H., Jacobson, M., Jensen-Waern, M., 2006. Effects of epidural morphine and transdermal fentanyl analgesia on physiology and behaviour after abdominal surgery in pigs. Lab. Anim. 40, 16–27. doi:10.1258/002367706775404453
Monticello, T.M., Haschek, W.M., 2016. Swine in Translational Research and Drug Development. Toxicol. Pathol. 44, 297–298. doi:10.1177/0192623316630838
Vlach, K.D., Boles, J.W., Stiles, B.G., 2000. Telemetric evaluation of body temperature and physical activity as predictors of mortality in a murine model of staphylococcal enterotoxic shock. Comp. Med. 50, 160–166
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
The eels of north adriatic lagoons at different silvering stages: too young to reproduce?
No full textValutazione di effetti comparati di alcuni olii essenziali sulla funzionalità e integrità di spermatozoi suini.
No full textValutazione di effetti comparati di alcuni olii essenziali sulla funzionalità e integrità di spermatozoi suini
No full textVariations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
The eels of north adriatic lagoons at different silvering stages: too young to reproduce?
No full textPopulation Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Amoxicillin in Plasma and Milk in Lactating Göttingen Minipigs – A Contribution from the ConcePTION Project
No full textBackground: Amoxicillin is frequently prescribed to peripartum women as prophylaxis and treatment for infection. Despite frequent usage of amoxicillin in lactating women, quantitative evidence regarding its transfer between systemic circulation and breastmilk remains limited. However, such data is fundamentally essential for assessing the safety risk of medicine usage during breastfeeding. Objective: This research performed population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) modeling and simulation to characterize the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin in plasma and breastmilk in lactating Göttingen Minipigs, a physiologically relevant animal model to humans that enables studying medication transfer during lactation. Methods: Demographic characteristics and amoxicillin concentrations in plasma and breastmilk following daily intramuscular doses (7 mg/kg) in 9 minipigs from two studies were included in the PopPK analysis. The milk-to-plasma (M/P) ratio, daily infant dosage (DID), and relative infant dose (RID) were calculated based on the simulated steady-state exposure. Results: The final model consisted of a two-compartment distribution with zero-order absorption and linear elimination. The central compartment was deemed as the plasma compartment with time-varying volume of distribution, and linked to the breastmilk compartment via bidirectional first-order transfer. No covariate was included. The developed PopPK model well described amoxicillin in plasma and breastmilk in the lactating Göttingen Minipigs. The predicted M/P ratio, DID, and RID of amoxicillin following the maximal doses were approximately 0.25, 0.11 mg·kg−1·day−1, and 1.6% for Göttingen Minipigs, respectively. Conclusions: The model-based simulation indicated minimal amoxicillin exposure to the breastfed piglets, suggesting a low safety risk, which was reinforced by the absence of adverse events in the piglets
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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