Feature identification in circadian rhythms of mice strains using in vivo information.

The objective of this work was to identify strain-specific characteristics from real-time measurements of circadian rhythms of two inbred mouse strains. In particular, heart rate, temperature, and activity data collected from A/J and C57BL/6J (B6) mice using telemetry are analyzed. The influence of activity on heart rate and temperature is minimized by correlation analysis followed by regression analysis.

Implantable RF power converter for small animal in vivo biological monitoring.

A miniature, long-term, implantable radio frequency (RF) power converter for freely moving samll animal in vivo biological monitoring is proposed. An environment consisting of a laboratory mouse inside a cage is used for a prototype monitoring system design. By employing an inductive coupling network, a prototype implant device with a dimension of approximately 6 m x 6 mm x 1 mm and a weight of 100 mg including medical-grade silicone coating can wirelessly receive an input FR power from an array of external coils positioned underneath the cage.

Genetic dissection of complex traits with chromosome substitution strains of mice.

Chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) have been proposed as a simple and powerful way to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting developmental, physiological, and behavioral processes. Here, we report the construction of a complete CSS panel for a vertebrate species. The CSS panel consists of 22 mouse strains, each of which carries a single chromosome substituted from a donor strain (A/J) onto a common host background (C57BL/6J).

Naturally occurring variation in cardiovascular traits among inbred mouse strains.

The objective of this study was to characterize genetic variation in complex cardiovascular traits in two commonly used inbred mouse strains. We performed echocardiography, graded treadmill exercise, tail cuff plethysmography, and telemetry (heart rate, activity, temperature) in age- ( approximately 9 weeks) and sex-matched A/J and C57BL/6J (B6) inbred mice. B6 mice had significantly larger end-diastolic dimension (3.