mouse
oracknows | September 27, 2017Last week, an antivaxer "challenged" me to look over a paper purporting to show that aluminum adjuvants in vaccines cause inflammation of the brain and therefore contribute to autism, a paper that she would be "citing frequently." Being someone who lives by the motto, "be careful what you wish for," I looked it over in detail. Not surprisingly, my conclusion was that the experiments were poorly done using obsolete and not very quantitative methodology and that the results do not support the conclusions made by the authors. I was not alone in this conclusion. Skeptical Raptor was, if anything…
dr. dolittle | August 24, 2017
Image of a genetically obese mouse (left) from Wikipedia.
To deal with cold environments, mammals have several options. They could produce heat by increasing metabolism or shivering or they could conserve heat by constricting blood vessels in their skin or snuggling with a friend or insulating materials. With this in mind, researchers wondered how varying levels of insulation (obesity, fur) in mice affected heat loss and how much energy the animals used to maintain body heat. Their thinking was that more insulation would prevent heat loss and lower energy…
gregladen | July 29, 2017I did some research on mice, and I thought I'd pass it on. First, though, let me suggest that you get some of this stuff. Use it to paint a symbol on each of your wireless mice that matches a symbol on each of your mice dongles. It will help keep you sane. You'll still find yourself constantly in possession of mice and dongles that do not match, but at least they will have these pretty little symbols you drew all over them.
There is some interesting and exciting stuff going on with mice.
Best but most expensive small mouse for general mobile use
The Logitech MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile…
dr. dolittle | January 11, 2017 Dummerstorf marathon mouse, Image from Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology
As the name implies, Dummerstorf marathon mice are bred to run. If allowed to be sedentary, these animals can build up quite a bit of fat within their peripheral tissues even if they do not overeat. If given an exercise wheel, however, they burn fat very quickly.
In a new study published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology - B, researchers discovered that the livers of these mice have an increased ability to not only store fat but to also rapidly mobilize fat when necessary for exercise. If they are able…
dr. dolittle | June 14, 2016 Image of a spiny mouse. Credit: Clive Druett/Getty
Although laboratory rodents are used to study estrogen-related disorders, they are different from humans in that they do not menstruate. Therefore, they are not used to understand or develop treatments for disorders related to menstruation, like endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or some fertility disorders.
Researchers from Monash University (Australia), have now reported they've discovered a rodent that actually has a menstrual cycle similar to humans. The spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) has about a nine day cycle that includes…
dr. dolittle | September 26, 2013...for rodents and men at least.
A team of researchers at UC Berkeley have discovered that mice infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii lose their innate fear of cats, even months after the infection is cleared. In fact, infected mice were mildly attracted to the odor of cats. This side effect likely evolved because the parasite can only sexually reproduce in a cat's gut necessitating ingestion of the parasite. Incidentally, other researchers have described the same side effects in rats and men (but not women). The findings suggest that the parasitic infection causes permanent changes in…
dr. dolittle | June 18, 2013
Image of common model organisms from European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
A recent article posted in the BBC News provided a good explanation of why scientists commonly study these organisms as models for human diseases and conditions. Model organisms are chosen because their physiology is similar to other animals, including humans, in addition to other reasons:
Visit the BBC News to see why researchers most often use flies, fish, mice and worms to understand the mechanisms of disease and health.
Did you know that ~70% of the genes in a fruit fly are homologous to human genes…
jgoldman | December 13, 2010Sometimes, when trolling through your institution's journal subscriptions online, you wander into a treasure trove. I happened upon such a treasure trove recently: the Journal of Animal Behavior, which was published for just six years, between 1911 and 1916.
The studies described in this journal were being conducted at a time when experimental psychology was just emerging as a serious scientific discipline. In 1881, for example, Wilhelm Wundt organized the first scientific journal devoted to psychological science. The first laboratory for experimental psychology was established at Yale…
edyong | March 7, 2010Sex might be fun but it's not without risks. As your partner exposes themselves to you, they also expose you to whatever bacteria, viruses or parasites they might be carrying. But some animals have a way around that. Ekaterina Litvinova has found that when male mice get a whiff of female odours, their immune systems prepare their airways for attack, increasing their resistance to flu viruses.
Litvinova worked with a group of mice that were exposed to bedding that had previously been soiled by females in the sexually receptive parts of their cycle. She compared them to a second more monastic…
bleimanb | October 12, 2007A UK-based company recently unveiled a new mousetrap that utilizes technology rather than Monterey jack to capture and then slaughter adorable mice. The company, Rentokil (nope, not kidding), has developed a contraption that looks like the opening to a tunnel, preying on mice's natural curiosity that any dark hole may have delicious food waiting inside. Upon entering the hole, however, the mice trigger an infrared beam, which closes the door behind them. Once the doors are shut, the trap releases carbon dioxide until the mice pass out and then die of asphyxiation. The time of capture to the…
zooillogix | March 17, 2007So maybe that is a bit inaccurate but this glow in the dark mouse is real and was created to aid in cancer research. It's called a florescent nude transgenic mouse. We're embarrassed for him.
Nude transgenic mouse in normal light
Nude transgenic mouse under black light at a Phish show.
We can't make this stuff up.