September 2015 - This Month in JoVE: Measuring Greenhouse Gases and Herbicide Resistance, Bioengineering Bone, and Analyzing Neuromuscular Control with Virtual Reality

Protocol

Multifunctional Setup for Studying Human Motor Control Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Electromyography, Motion Capture, and Virtual Reality

William J. Talkington, Bradley S. Pollard, Erienne V. Olesh, Valeriya Gritsenko

Department of Human Performance and Applied Exercise Science, Division of Physical Therapy, West Virginia University

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, electromyography, and 3D motion capture are commonly used non-invasive techniques for investigating neuromuscular function in humans. In this paper, we describe a protocol that synchronously samples data generated by all three of these tools along with the unique addition of virtual reality stimulus presentation and feedback.

The Use of an Automated System (GreenFeed) to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals

Alexander Hristov¹, Joon Oh¹, Fabio Giallongo¹, Tyler Frederick¹, Holley Weeks¹, Patrick R Zimmerman², Michael T. Harper¹, Rada A Hristova³, R. Scott Zimmerman², Antonio F. Branco⁴

¹Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania State University, ²C-Lock, Inc. Rapid City, SD, ³Color Productions, State College, PA, ⁴Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá

Accuracy and precision of the techniques used to measure methane emissions from ruminant animals are critically important for the success of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. This manuscript describes the principles and operation of an automated system to monitor methane and carbon dioxide mass fluxes from the breath of ruminant animals.

Measuring Rates of Herbicide Metabolism in Dicot Weeds with an Excised Leaf Assay

Rong Ma, Joshua J. Skelton, Dean E. Riechers

Department of Crop Science, University of Illinois

This manuscript describes how herbicide metabolism rates can be effectively quantified with excised leaves from a dicot weed, thereby reducing variability and removing any possible confounding effects of herbicide uptake or translocation typically observed in whole-plant assays.

Distinctive Capillary Action by Micro-channels in Bone-like Templates Can Enhance Recruitment of Cells for Restoration of Large Bony Defect

Daniel S Oh¹, Alia Koch¹, Sidney B. Eisig¹, Sahng Gyoon Kim², Yoon Hyuk Kim³, Do-Gyoon Kim⁴, Jae Hyuck Shim⁵

¹Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Columbia University, ²Endodontics, Columbia University, ³Mechanical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, South Korea, ⁴Orthodontics, The Ohio State University, ⁵Pathology, Weill Cornell Medical College

A step-by-step generic process to create a bone-like template with engineered micro-channels is presented. High absorption and retention capabilities of the template are demonstrated by capillary action via micro-channels.