An artificial feeding system for maintenance and growth of hematophagous insects is disclosed to comprise a blood-free diet formulation and a feeding device. The blood-free diet formulation comprises effective amounts of a protein source and a carbohydrate source, wherein the blood-free diet formulation is suitable for egg production and colony maintenance of hematophagous insects. The feeding device comprises a diet reservoir for receiving the blood-free diet formulation and a feeding platform for hematophagous insects to feed the blood-free diet formation from the diet reservoir.

An artificial feeding system for maintenance and growth of hematophagous insects is disclosed to comprise a blood-free diet formulation and a feeding device. The blood-free diet formulation comprises effective amounts of a protein source and a carbohydrate source, wherein the blood-free diet formulation is suitable for egg production and colony maintenance of hematophagous insects. The feeding device comprises a diet reservoir for receiving the blood-free diet formulation and a feeding platform for hematophagous insects to feed the blood-free diet formation from the diet reservoir.

A method for inducing a hibernation-like state and a device for the same is described. The method is a chemical and physical method for reducing, in a subject, a theoretical set-point temperature of a body temperature and/or a feedback gain of heat production, or for inducing a hibernation-like state in the subject, the method including applying an excitatory stimulus to pyroglutamylated RFamide peptide (QRFP)-producing neurons. A device used to implement the method is also described.

The invention relates to methods of increasing the genetic progress of a line, breed or herd of swine through the use of sex-selected sperm cells in artificial insemination techniques. The invention also encompasses methods of artificially inseminating a swine via deep intrauterine catheter or via a laparoscopic procedure, which allow the use of reduced doses of sex-selected sperm cells.

Provided is a genetically modified non-human mammal that comprises an anchor DNA sequence inserted at an endogenous locus of a secretory milk protein gene, wherein the anchor DNA sequence comprises a site-specific recombinase recognition site. Also provided is a genetically modified non-human mammal that comprises a transgene inserted at an endogenous locus of a secretory milk protein gene, wherein the transgene encodes a secretory protein and is operably linked to the endogenous promoter of said secretory milk protein gene, and wherein the transgene is flanked by a pair of site-specific recombinase resulting sites. The genetically modified non-human mammals provided can be used for producing the secreted recombinant protein encoded by the transgene from the milk produced by the genetically modified non-human mammals.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for high content drug screening in Caenorhabditis elegans which may be used to identify compounds that treat disorders associated with protein aggregation. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that Caenorhabditis elegans, genetically modified to create a model system for disorders of protein aggregation, could be used, in a high throughput screening system, to identify agents that reduce the amount of aggregated protein.

Nucleic acids encoding modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts are provided. The modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts belongs to a cluster of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) and bind to chromatin remodeler Brg1 to inhibit Brg1's genomic targeting and gene regulation function. The modified myosin heavy-chain-associated RNA transcripts expressed in an individual inhibit Brg1's gene regulation function and protect the heart of the individual from myopathy and failure. One of the modified heavy-chain-associated RNAs is a 400 base pair fragment segmented from a natural 779 base pair sequence of Mhrt (Mhrt779) and has the same cardioprotective effects as the Mhrt779.

The present invention relates to a HSP27 mutation (S135F) mediated Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) animal model. Particularly, the vector expressing mutant HSP27 protein wherein the 135.sup.th serine is substituted with phenylalanine has been injected in the mouse zygote and then the mouse harboring the expression vector was selected. The selected mouse was confirmed to display Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease phenotype, so that the animal model was expected to be efficiently used for the evaluation of the effect of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease treating material candidates.

A method for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including stimulating the animal using a stimulus device; collecting data from the animal using a data collection device; analyzing the collected data; and developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A system for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including a stimulus device for stimulating the animal; a data collection device for collecting data from the animal; a device for analyzing the collected data; and a device for developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A computer implemented method, a computer system and a nontransitory computer readable storage medium related to the same. Also, a method and apparatus for automatically discovering, characterizing and classifying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area. Further, use of a depth camera and/or a touch sensitive device related to the same.

A method for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including stimulating the animal using a stimulus device; collecting data from the animal using a data collection device; analyzing the collected data; and developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A system for studying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area including a stimulus device for stimulating the animal; a data collection device for collecting data from the animal; a device for analyzing the collected data; and a device for developing a quantitative behavioral primitive from the analyzed data. A computer implemented method, a computer system and a nontransitory computer readable storage medium related to the same. Also, a method and apparatus for automatically discovering, characterizing and classifying the behavior of an animal in an experimental area. Further, use of a depth camera and/or a touch sensitive device related to the same.