tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80237651259866084542024-03-12T16:44:07.767-07:00My Magellan Experience: Inside a Duke Unviersity Medical Center LabElisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-38996875843533822122017-08-18T08:14:00.003-07:002017-08-19T16:05:15.097-07:00Week 11 - 8/14/2017Week 11<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">As I wrap up my last week at the lab, it is
bittersweet. I'm excited that I've completed my first internship! And I'm
excited to go on vacation after this, but I will also miss all of the cool
experiments and taking care of the rats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I am really happy that I decided to intern
here because I was able to learn so much and everybody that works there was
very helpful to me. Coming into this internship, I knew somewhat what I would
be doing but I never thought I would learn as much as I did. I am very thankful
to everyone who worked with me this summer because no matter what questions I
had they would always be answered. One thing I greatly appreciated about this
lab is that everyone works together as a team. Not only does it help everything
be more efficient, but it really helps to get everything done correctly and in
a timely manner. I am also very happy I got exposure to many different types of
experiments and studies. While this internship comes to a close, I am grateful
for all the experience I have gained and for all the research work I was able
to complete this summer. I can't wait to see where I go next!<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-30739893424636646972017-08-18T08:13:00.002-07:002017-08-18T08:15:25.396-07:00Week 10 - 8/7/2017Week 10<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This week’s main focus was working on the
attention task. Since all of the Templeton project rats have gone through their
two training sessions, we have begun to run them on the A-shape program. They
need to complete this program 5 times before they can move onto the 50 signal
lever program. We also are still finishing up some of cohort 4 training, and
because some of them finished we were able to run a few through the figure 8
locomotive test.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I also spent my time this week weighing and
sexing newborn rats for the Diazinon study. This study is a pilot study and is
focusing on how the Diazinon pesticide affects development. It is really fun to
work with newborns because they are really small and cute. They weigh around
eight pounds and by the fourth day weigh around twelve pounds. Since they are
little, their eyes are still closed and they don't have any fur yet.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-49931056166256135872017-08-03T09:40:00.003-07:002017-08-16T10:31:12.080-07:00Week 9 - 7/31/2017Week 9<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This week the main focus was finishing up
cohort 4 NICHEs on the attention task and also getting the Templeton project
rats acclimated to the attention task program. I detailed in my week 4 blog the
different levels of the attention task after acclimation. However, before that
the rat has to go through training sessions and the A Shape program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">For the training sessions, the rat is simply
put in the box and sugar pellets are dispensed into the food tray. For the
first training session, it lasts about 30 minutes. The second training session
is a little bit quicker and lasts about 20 minutes. This allows the rats to
understand that they are supposed to be trying to get sugar pellets from the food
tray. Once the rats have completed those two training sessions, they move on to
the A Shape program and have to complete it 5 times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On Friday, we went to Duke's main campus to
see some of the other undergraduate interns at the lab present what they have
been working on this summer. We also stopped by the main building for the Duke
University Institute for Brain Sciences. It was a fun experience to see other
science facilities on Duke's campus.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-60684383557089056032017-08-03T09:40:00.000-07:002017-08-16T10:30:57.703-07:00Weeks 7 & 8 - 7/17/2017 & 7/24/2017Weeks 7 & 8<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">For the next two weeks, I ran radial arm maze
(RAM) trials. A total of 12 trials were run to see if the animals had learned
and had improved their times and memory of going into the correct arm. During
the first week, some rats still took the full 10 minutes in the maze, but by
the second week all of the rats completed the maze in under 10 minutes. While
this was a time consuming experiment because I had to record the data myself
and there wasn't a computer doing it like for the attention task, I actually
enjoyed it. It was fun to see which rats progressed faster and it was also
exciting when a rat would finally understand the maze. There were a few rats
that went in the maze in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion, whereas some
rats just went to different arms but still finished in under 10 minutes. This
was also a cool experiment to see because I have seen the Templeton project
rats since they were weaned from their mothers, so it has been interesting to
see them "grow up."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">For the RAM experiment, the rat is put into
the black bucket in the center of the maze for about 10 seconds. The bucket is
then removed and the rat explores the arms of the maze and hopefully remembers
which ones are baited and which ones are not. Any time the rat enters an arm,
it is recorded. At the end of the session, either when the rat has entered all
of the baited arms or 10 minutes has passed, the rat is returned to its home
cage. Then I calculate the working memory errors, reference memory errors, and
latency. Working memory errors are how many times the rat entered an arm the
was baited past the initial time it entered, and also if it did not enter a
baited arm at all. This is because they are only supposed to enter a baited arm
once and remember they entered it. For reference memory errors, that is how
many times the rat entered the arms that were not baited. And latency is the time
divided by how many times the rat entered each arm.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0qLokqPttuE/WYyS4DunOII/AAAAAAAAACg/Tn5VVQ9UWncurUmzdN9y-cFqOzEDjKwfACLcBGAs/s1600/RAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0qLokqPttuE/WYyS4DunOII/AAAAAAAAACg/Tn5VVQ9UWncurUmzdN9y-cFqOzEDjKwfACLcBGAs/s320/RAM.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Radial arm maze</span></td></tr>
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Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-51696780612818873882017-08-03T09:39:00.003-07:002017-08-16T10:30:43.899-07:00Week 6 - 7/10/2017Week 6<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This week started off slow because we were
getting prepared to start the Templetons on another experiment called the
Radial Arm Maze. Anytime we start an experiment in a new environment (outside
of their home cages) we have to acclimate the rats so that they are used to
their surroundings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The radial arm maze is a 16-arm maze that has
12 out of the 16 arms baited with froot loops. This maze tests two types of
memories: working and reference. The purpose is to have the rat remember which
arms it is supposed to enter with the froot loops and to not go back into an
arm it has already been in. The rats get a reward if they go down the baited
arms (a froot loop) and also the quicker they complete the maze the quicker
they can go back to their home cage. The time is capped at 10 minutes, so if a
rat does not enter all the baited arms they do not get those froot loops. The
process for this and working/reference memory will be described in more detail
in next week's blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">For acclimation, the rats needed to get used
to the environment and understand that the purpose of being put in this maze was
to get froot loops. In order to acclimate them, we put a black bucket in the
center of the maze. In the bucket is 12 pieces of froot loops. The rat is then
placed in the bucket and taken out once it has eaten all the froot loops or
once 10 minutes has passed. This helps the rat understand that when they are
put in this environment they are supposed to be looking for the froot loops. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocnkg2oh9M4/WYySvsiSMHI/AAAAAAAAACc/aqG9ZYMNajkS_mEpOll-ojfrFy6kZ_PvgCLcBGAs/s1600/radial%2Barm%2Bmaze%2Bacclimation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="641" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocnkg2oh9M4/WYySvsiSMHI/AAAAAAAAACc/aqG9ZYMNajkS_mEpOll-ojfrFy6kZ_PvgCLcBGAs/s320/radial%2Barm%2Bmaze%2Bacclimation.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Radial arm maze</span></td></tr>
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Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-6782861537348544282017-08-03T09:39:00.001-07:002017-08-16T10:30:26.130-07:00Week 5 - 7/3/2017Week 5<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week I went back to working with the Templeton study. This week was also a
little more complicated than expected because we had July 4th off and then the
fire alarm went off on Wednesday during one of our experiments, so it had to be
re-done. Although this week was a bit more complicated, it still was a lot of
fun to complete some experiments on the Templeton project rats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
first experiment of the week was novel environment suppressed feeding. In this
experiment, the animals were food deprived for 24 hours, and then given food in
their cages. When we gave them food, we first weighed the food, set a timer for
10 minutes, and after 10 minutes weighed the food again to see how much they
ate. This experiment went smoothly until the fire alarm went off. I was testing
two of the last three cages when this happened. Since the fire alarm is really
loud and unexpected, it can stress out the animals just like it can stress out
humans. So, we were not able to count the testing on those two cages and
decided to hold off on testing the last cage since they were most likely
stressed too. Since we had to start the experiment over, they needed to be food
deprived again for 24 hours. However, since they had just been food deprived we
gave them all food to eat for about an hour. Rats normally eat in intervals so
this was a sufficient amount of time to make sure they got the nutrition they
needed and wanted. They were then food deprived for 24 hours and completed the
experiment the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week was also largely focused on an experiment called "Novel Object
Recognition" or as we like to refer to it, NOR. In this experiment, rats
are put in a large black box with two of the same objects. An hour later, they
are put in the same box with one object from the previous session and a new
object. Videos are taken of the rats during both sessions and are scored to see
how much time is spent with each object. This experiment tests the memory of
the rats. I like this experiment because although it is simple the timing is
crucial. Once the rats are done, within the next 10 minutes the videos have to
be saved and the boxes have to be cleaned to prepare for the next rats. It is
also very important that when the rats are taken out of the boxes the time is
recorded because exactly an hour later they have to be put in for their session
with the different objects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
week was a really fun week because I got to run many experiments on the
Templeton project rats. I also enjoyed it because I learned how to deal with
the unexpected and adapt to changing schedules.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kumFhn_QqOM/WYySNif_t6I/AAAAAAAAACY/huwrkd_rHagMlxtVmpQlsW0j3f09RtLewCLcBGAs/s1600/NOR%2Bbox%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="581" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kumFhn_QqOM/WYySNif_t6I/AAAAAAAAACY/huwrkd_rHagMlxtVmpQlsW0j3f09RtLewCLcBGAs/s320/NOR%2Bbox%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">NOR box</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVpu7LxAz-E/WYySNFUflzI/AAAAAAAAACU/lQrl_n1OsFsi0Oi-ldwTKFDnRShqeV5XQCLcBGAs/s1600/NOR%2Bbox%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="576" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVpu7LxAz-E/WYySNFUflzI/AAAAAAAAACU/lQrl_n1OsFsi0Oi-ldwTKFDnRShqeV5XQCLcBGAs/s320/NOR%2Bbox%2B2.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">NOR box</span></td></tr>
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Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-19782059522482835502017-08-03T09:38:00.003-07:002017-08-16T10:30:01.009-07:00Week 4 - 6/26/2017Week 4<br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This
week I mostly worked on testing the rats in the NICHES study on the attention
task. There are four cohorts of rats in total for this study, but the first
cohort has finished the attention task. I am currently running cohorts 2, 3,
and 4 through this task.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although
it sounds simple, the attention task contains many steps. It is an experiment
that tests not only the animal’s ability to pay attention, but also how well it
can remember its previous sessions. To start, the rat is trained in the box
through a few programs. There are two levers, one left and one right. Depending
on which box the rat is in, there is a signal light above the right or left
lever. There are multiple stages to this attention task which include:
training, A Shape, 50 signal light, 50 blank lever, 50 signal light and 50
blank lever, 100 trials, and 240 trials. I will be taking you through the
process of each session below. This is experiment is one that takes the longest
because the rat has to pass each program, and if it cannot move on to the next
program until it passes. Naturally, this means that some rats are ahead of the
others, because just like humans some of them are able to understand the
program more easily and quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
the sake of this explanation, I am going to say the signal light is on the left
(this also corresponds with the pictures). In the box, the light will go off
and if the rat presses the left lever it receives a sugar pellet. Now the rat
does not automatically understand this, so the rat goes through training
sessions and has to pass them in order to move on. Once it understands that the
light means to press the left lever (50 signal light program), it will move on
to the program with 50 blank levers, which means that the light will not go off
and if it presses the right lever it receives a sugar pellet. Once that program
is passed, it goes through the program where it has 50 signals and 50 blanks.
Once it completes that program, however, the sessions get more intense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
next phase that the rat will go through in this attention task is a program we
like to refer to as "V." This program is a set of 100 trials with
both signals and blanks. Thus, during this if the signal goes off the rat
should press the left lever to get a pellet and if it is blank (no light) the
rat should press the right lever to get a pellet. However, unlike the previous
program this is random so the rat has to pay attention to when the light goes
on and when it stays off. This program is slightly more intense because once it
passes the regular "V" session we move the signal light farther up to
the "V+1" position. The rat then goes through 100 trials, and has to
pass. A passing score is a score greater than or equal to 70%. The signal light
then gets moved up one more spot, and the rat again has to pass 100 trials in
the "V+2" session. The third and final phase of this "V"
program is moving the light into the center of the box. Again, the rat has to
pass 100 trials in this program we refer to as "V+C." Once that is
passed, the rat is almost done with the attention task as it has one more phase
to go through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
last and final phase of the program is what we refer to as "V7." The
signal light is in the center of the box, like the "V+C" position,
but the rat has to pass 240 trials this time. Now, unlike the other programs,
the rat has to pass the “V7” program six times. Once it has passed six times,
the rat has successfully completed the attention task.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While
the program itself can take time, we also have to always make sure the boxes
are working correctly. Sometimes the sugar pellets will get stuck to the metal
plates they come down from, so we have to make sure those are clean. We also
regularly clean out the bottom of the cages. Although the attention task was a
little daunting at first, I have come to really enjoy it. I started working on
this in the middle of cohort 2 and 3 completing the task, and when cohort 4 was
just going through the training sessions. It is really enjoyable and fun to see
which rats move through the programs quickly and it is fun to see which rats
pass! Overall, this week was pretty enjoyable because I was also able to run
some of the NICHES rats through figure 8 training. I am really starting to have
fun with the work I am doing as I am getting more involved with the
experiments. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5y2nDMqMOkE/WYyR5yFT4yI/AAAAAAAAACM/bjykvNR8QngIoq6Za5FgW9CyFPRgiu52gCLcBGAs/s1600/attention%2Btask%2Bbox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5y2nDMqMOkE/WYyR5yFT4yI/AAAAAAAAACM/bjykvNR8QngIoq6Za5FgW9CyFPRgiu52gCLcBGAs/s320/attention%2Btask%2Bbox.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Attention task box</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASNRR10SPXc/WYyR6d_2sbI/AAAAAAAAACQ/9EAeTBYCNOQA6UJgsIetnS4Exn9bgGbmACLcBGAs/s1600/attention%2Btask%2Blevers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASNRR10SPXc/WYyR6d_2sbI/AAAAAAAAACQ/9EAeTBYCNOQA6UJgsIetnS4Exn9bgGbmACLcBGAs/s320/attention%2Btask%2Blevers.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Attention task box with signal light at V+C and V7 position</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-76658799675322636712017-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:002017-08-16T10:29:17.068-07:00Week 3 - 6/19/2017Week 3<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">During my third week I was a lot
more involved with the testing of the rats. I worked with the Templeton project
rats for the figure 8 maze and the NICHES on the attention task, which will be
detailed in next week’s blog. My main focus this week will be to explain the
figure 8 locomotive test I completed on the Templeton project rats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I have used programs before to
analyze statistics, but I have never used programs to conduct experiments so I
thought the whole process was pretty neat. In this program, a case file has to
be created and the rat ID's have to be matched to the box I would load them
into. This is the most intensive part of this program because I have to make
sure the ID’s match the correct box as this is how we are able to track the
data of the rat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">While the program is pretty old,
the boxes are in good condition. Like the name of the test entails, it is a
figure 8 maze that has sensors throughout that track the rat’s movement. Once I
setup the program, I place the rats in the figure 8 maze for an hour and then
take them out. Recording the data is a more precarious task because there are
quite a few steps that need to be taken in order to get the data, and then the
data has to be recorded on a sheet and then put in a folder on the computer.
Once that is done, I transfer the data from my sheet onto an excel sheet with the
rest of the experimental data on an up-to-date computer. This task is one of my
favorites to complete because I enjoy being able to work with the computer and
program, even if it can be difficult at times and is older.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">I also think this test is really
fascinating because it is able to assess whether or not the rats are
hyperactive and have ADHD or ADD. This week definitely felt amazing as I really
felt I had made my first major contribution to helping out with research! I am
really looking forward to what the next weeks have in store for me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4dau65ZaeE/WYyROoynxAI/AAAAAAAAACE/arYJbqMVo7ACz25wYeKmP03zk76FhyvQwCLcBGAs/s1600/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bboxes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4dau65ZaeE/WYyROoynxAI/AAAAAAAAACE/arYJbqMVo7ACz25wYeKmP03zk76FhyvQwCLcBGAs/s320/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bboxes.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Figure 8 maze boxes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zel74lM-D_4/WYyRN3NAxDI/AAAAAAAAAB8/UuifEOP5CnYKQuk8qB1f0TTJ5zFkjxASACEwYBhgL/s1600/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bbox%2Bclosed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="710" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zel74lM-D_4/WYyRN3NAxDI/AAAAAAAAAB8/UuifEOP5CnYKQuk8qB1f0TTJ5zFkjxASACEwYBhgL/s320/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bbox%2Bclosed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Figure 8 maze box</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reQugzD2mIw/WYyROuqqChI/AAAAAAAAACA/H1KniVxD6pcsYa-WmRErWqKYxFA7Wr2AACLcBGAs/s1600/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bbox%2Bopen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="742" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-reQugzD2mIw/WYyROuqqChI/AAAAAAAAACA/H1KniVxD6pcsYa-WmRErWqKYxFA7Wr2AACLcBGAs/s320/figure%2B8%2Bmaze%2Bbox%2Bopen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Figure 8 maze box open</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-26521144548477172302017-08-03T09:35:00.004-07:002017-08-16T10:28:52.748-07:00Week 2 - 6/12/2017Week 2<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">As my second week began, I knew it
was about to get a lot more interesting because I was added on protocol. This
meant that I was now able to handle the animals. At the Behavioral Research Lab
they conduct multiple studies on the rats and fish they have, but my time here
will be focused on two main projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The first project is the NICHES
study, and details about the study can be found </span><a href="https://niches.duke.edu/" title="https://niches.duke.edu/"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">.
NICHES stands for the study of "neurodevelopment and improving children's
health following environmental tobacco smoke exposure." Currently with
this project we are running the rats through a program called the attention
task (more details to follow in next week’s blog) and then studying their sexual
behavior and neurotoxicology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The second project is the
Templeton study, which is a study of how THC affects epigenetics. We are
currently studying offspring of males who were exposed to THC orally. We are
running them through multiple behavioral tests. Again, more details on the
tests and progress of the study will be detailed in upcoming weekly blogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Although I was added to protocol
this week, a lot of what I did was basic and simple things to make sure the
rats were being taken care of. I spent a few days making cages, changing cages,
marking the rat's tales so we can tell which rat is which, weighing them,
feeding them, and checking on them. I realized that no matter where you go in
life you are going to need to complete tasks that you do not always want to
because they seem mundane, boring, or not important enough. But without all of
these simple tasks completed, not only do the rats not live good lives, but no
testing would be able to be completed. Millions of lives would not be able to
be helped with research just because I didn't want to do something simple and
easy. So even though it was boring at points to just be changing cages, I knew
it was just as important as running tests. I did get to run one test this
week--it is called an elevated plus-maze. I completed this task with one fellow
assistant. During the task we timed when the rats would stay in the open ends,
when they stay in the closed ends, and when they cross from open arm to open
arm or closed arm to closed arm. All in all, even though this week wasn't what
I expected, I still learned a lot and obtained a greater appreciation for all
of the research that is completed throughout the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qJo4PzxY3Q/WYyKOhoykTI/AAAAAAAAABk/cvkQoIlSlf8H4j7xUEoAkj4qPJC3nJ6lwCLcBGAs/s1600/elevated%2Bmaze%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qJo4PzxY3Q/WYyKOhoykTI/AAAAAAAAABk/cvkQoIlSlf8H4j7xUEoAkj4qPJC3nJ6lwCLcBGAs/s320/elevated%2Bmaze%2B2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The elevated plus maze</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvkSpEeOHrk/WYyKXvUKGtI/AAAAAAAAABs/x3I514zPWdUWLapF-lAa1Yrk4H7apA_iQCLcBGAs/s1600/elevated%2Bmaze%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="483" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pvkSpEeOHrk/WYyKXvUKGtI/AAAAAAAAABs/x3I514zPWdUWLapF-lAa1Yrk4H7apA_iQCLcBGAs/s320/elevated%2Bmaze%2B1.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The elevated plus maze</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8023765125986608454.post-2118260968301742462017-06-30T08:43:00.001-07:002017-08-16T10:28:30.204-07:00Week 1 - 6/5/2017Week 1<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R-ozz9fRfzQ/WYyJFN04OPI/AAAAAAAAABA/JnQ92INVsGkt5eDhBRH53rMSJdiWXUdhACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_4853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R-ozz9fRfzQ/WYyJFN04OPI/AAAAAAAAABA/JnQ92INVsGkt5eDhBRH53rMSJdiWXUdhACEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_4853.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Me standing in front of the lab building and sign</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC7J6AwoCYA/WYyJJlwng9I/AAAAAAAAABI/4Wi2HPdI0WcNsQcsEzXFqsCg8VrLeEzgACEwYBhgL/s1600/lab%2Bdoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="443" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aC7J6AwoCYA/WYyJJlwng9I/AAAAAAAAABI/4Wi2HPdI0WcNsQcsEzXFqsCg8VrLeEzgACEwYBhgL/s320/lab%2Bdoor.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The door to the lab</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hrQPxXoT_d8/WYyJrvZSOhI/AAAAAAAAABY/9EQgBLdN7B0UZI3W6aPLbL0UoPPX_KfRACLcBGAs/s1600/lab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hrQPxXoT_d8/WYyJrvZSOhI/AAAAAAAAABY/9EQgBLdN7B0UZI3W6aPLbL0UoPPX_KfRACLcBGAs/s320/lab.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wet lab</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__uDAQeR7Ro/WYyJtgg3wSI/AAAAAAAAABc/Mh2tJsIwCUAgz6XtEqnIgiYKQeGHz8yMgCLcBGAs/s1600/pH%2Bscale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__uDAQeR7Ro/WYyJtgg3wSI/AAAAAAAAABc/Mh2tJsIwCUAgz6XtEqnIgiYKQeGHz8yMgCLcBGAs/s320/pH%2Bscale.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The pH scale machine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-umKJlW5tS4Q/WYyJJhVD5NI/AAAAAAAAABU/k3bKK6AF2j0eszaGvlhZgH3WpE60OY-2wCEwYBhgL/s1600/outside%2Blab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="655" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-umKJlW5tS4Q/WYyJJhVD5NI/AAAAAAAAABU/k3bKK6AF2j0eszaGvlhZgH3WpE60OY-2wCEwYBhgL/s320/outside%2Blab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The view of the lab from across the street</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">It was the first week of my
internship and I was not sure what to expect. I had just finished my first year
of college, and had taken about a two week break to get settled at home. I have
never had a 9-5, Monday-Friday job before, so this was new territory for me. I
knew that my Magellan would be a lot different from many others--after all I am
staying in the United States. But I also knew that it would be a worthwhile
experience. Already in my first week I was exposed to many lab practices,
protocols, rules, and regulations that I had never thought of before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">During the first week, I went
through training about animal care, how to handle animals, laboratory safety,
and the ethics of animal testing. The lab that I am working with completes
studies on rats and fish. I had not been added to protocol yet, so a lot of my
first week was watching what the lab technicians do and helping out with small
tasks like making cages. To me, this was the perfect way of settling into my job
as a lab assistant because I really got to observe the method and type of work
the technicians did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The two most fascinating parts of
my week was making nicotine for the self-administration rats and being able to
dissect rats for toxicology studies. I made the nicotine in the lab alongside a
fellow assistant after being taught once and walked through it by one of the
lab technicians. I really enjoyed this because I felt like I was finally being
able to apply what I had learned in my chemistry labs to something useful in
the work world. We had to test the pH of the solution and adjust it to be just
right by using NaOH and HCl solutions. It was really fun because I was able to
use a digital pH detector instead of paper!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">It also enjoyed learning how to
dissect the spleen and brain out of rats, because I took an anatomy and physiology
class in high school and dissected cats. At first it was a little bit tricky,
but after observing some dissections and being walked through a few, I got the
hang of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My first week was definitely very
rewarding, because I learned a lot about how labs operate and all of the
protocols and guidelines that go into research. I was also happy the I was able
to survive my first week of work in the adult world! I know that I will learn a
lot more throughout this internship and I am very grateful for the opportunity
to complete it.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
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Elisa Yhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15119421683897714988noreply@blogger.com0