the development and implementation of non-animal alternative tools in education and training are often the result of an evaluation process where the replacement of harmful animal use with humane, innovative methods reflects a range of pedagogical, ethical, environmental and economic considerations. InterNICHe helps realise its vision of a fully humane education by developing, promoting and impl...

There is an urgent need to develop data integration and testing strategy frameworks allowing interpretation of results from animal alternative test batteries. To this end, we developed a Bayesian Network Integrated Testing Strategy (BN ITS) with the goal to estimate skin sensitization hazard as a test case of previously developed concepts (Jaworska et al., 2010). The BN ITS combines in silico, ...

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is becoming increasingly popular with some offering it as a primary screen option in all patients in place of serum screening. Serum screening offers insight into placental function, which NIPT does not. Abnormal levels of analytes in the serum screen have been associated with pregnancy complications.

1Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Health Science Center, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA 2Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Health Science Center, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA 3Department of Pathology, Health Science Center, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100277, Gainesville, FL 32610...

The origins of the concept of alternatives to animal testing in the 1950s, and the range of replacement alternative methods and progress toward their incorporation into fundamental and applied research, education are discussed. The three R’s that is Replacement, Reduction, Refinement are defined. Importance and advantages of alternatives to animal testing methods are mentioned. Information is g...

While significant medical breakthroughs have been achieved through using animal models, our experience shows that often there is surplus material remaining that is frequently never revisited but could be put to good use by other scientists. Recognising that most scientists are willing to share this material on a collaborative basis, it makes economic, ethical, and academic sense to explore the ...

Animal research is a vital component of US research and well-functioning animal research facilities are critical both to the research itself and to the housing and feeding of the animals. The Office of Animal Care (OAC) at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute realized it had to improve the efficiency and safety of its animal research facility (ARF) to prepare for expansion and to adva...

Developers of assistive technology products need to ensure that their offerings meet the requirements of end users, and that usability issues have been discovered prior to manufacture. This may be difficult for SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) who may lack the necessary skills and resources required to plan and conduct an evaluation. To assist SMEs in the assistive technology market, a stand alo...