ABSTRACT
Background: There has been increased concern about the suitability of CO2 as a method for euthanasia of laboratory mice and rats, including the potential discomfort, pain or distress that animals may experience prior to loss of consciousness; time to loss of consciousness; best methods for use of CO2; and the availability of better alternatives. These discussions have been useful in providing new information, but have resulted in significant confusion regarding the acceptability of CO2 for rodent euthanasia. In some cases, researchers and veterinarians have become uncertain as to which techniques to recommend or use for euthanasia of laboratory mice and rats. Methods: The International Association of Colleges of Laboratory Animal Medicine (IACLAM) convened a taskforce to examine the evidence for adverse welfare indicators in laboratory rats and mice undergoing CO2 euthanasia using a SYRCLE-registered systematic review protocol. Of 3,772 papers identified through a database search (PubMed, Web of Science, CAB Direct, Agricola, and grey literature) from 1900 to 2017, 37 studies were identified for detailed review (some including more than one species or age group), including 15 in adult mice, 21 in adult rats, and 5 in neonates of both species. Experiments or reports were excluded if they only assessed parameters other than those directly affecting animal welfare during CO2 induction and/or euthanasia. Results: Study design and outcome measures were highly variable and there was an unclear to high risk of bias in many of the published studies. Changes in the outcome measures evaluated were inconsistent or poorly differentiated. It is likely that repeated exposures to carbon dioxide inhalation are aversive to adult rats and mice, based on avoidance behavior studies; however, this effect is largely indistinguishable from aversion induced by repeated exposures to other inhalant anesthetic gasses. Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to permit an unbiased assessment of the effect of CO2 inhalation during euthanasia on welfare indicators in laboratory mice and rats. Additional well-designed, unbiased, and adequately powered studies are needed to accurately assess the welfare of laboratory mice and rats undergoing euthanasia via CO2 gas.
ABSTRACT
A strain sensor system based on optical fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is proposed with a new matched-filter design. The strain variation on the sensor FBG is continuously followed and matched by a filter FBG by use of a feedback control loop that produces an identical strain condition on the filter FBG. The matched strain on the filter FBG is then determined from the resonance vibration of the fiber piece embedding the filter FBG. The implementation and the performance of the proposed system are described. It is demonstrated that the proposed system can distinguish strain variation on the sensor FBG with resolution of one microstrain.
ABSTRACT
The mode-coupling properties of tunable long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) formed in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) are presented. The mode coupling from the fundamental core mode to a cladding mode of a PCF is obtained by use of periodic mechanical pressure. The strength and the wavelength of the resonant peak are tuned by adjusting the grating period and the pressure applied on the PCF. Contrary to the conventional fiber case, the resonant wavelength of the PCF LPG is decreased by increasing the periodicity.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrate implementation of an all-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer formed in a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). We formed the all-PCF Mach-Zehnder interferometer by mechanically inducing two identical long-period fiber gratings (LPGs) in the PCF. The spectral properties of a LPG and a LPG pair were investigated. The interference fringe formed within the stop band of the LPG pair varied with the period and the strength of the gratings, and the fringe spacing was decreased with increasing grating separation. From the fringe spacing measurement the differential effective group index of the PCF was calculated to be deltam approximately equal to 2.8 x 10(-3).
