HPRA UPDATE FEB2020

...For lent we have another HPRA regulatory update. Please check your LAPBRU-USERS folder to get all the details or check your inbox with the circulated mail with the relevant attachemnt.
In summary....

1. Without naming and shaming the HPRA has provided stats on non-compliance's trends and the most common causes. Live and learn!
2. A reminder that the statistical returns are due has been included intros update given the time of the year.
3. The National Committee has been quite proactive and has published guidelines for the named information officer and his/her training requirements. The NC is now busy organising a National 3R training event for the 17th of September. Keep the date free for networking and exchanging valuable practical information relevant to our roles.
4. European Commission updates:
1. Reports: 5-year report on implementing Dir 10/63/EU and Stast on animal use from 2015-2017.
2. New ECVAM 3Rs resources to promote the uptake of alternatives and validation methods to in-vivo research.
5. AWB Tasks:
1. The HPRA has issued a reminder of the legal obligation of sharing tissues and of the existence of AniMatch
2. The HPRA encourages proactive participation of the AWB in minimising severe suffering including a few suggestions on how.
6. CULTURE OF CARE: Updates in Norecopa website, bench marking culture of care are the two main focus points included in this update.
7. ANNEX III: The HPRA alerts and reminds researchers using farm animals of the importance to keep stocking densities compliant.
8. ANIMAL STUDIES REGISTRIES: The HPRA strongly encourages that researchers register their studies in these registries outlining the aim of the study, the hypothesis, the experimental strategy and the analytical plans to avoid cherry-picking of findings and counter publication bias.
9. CONTINUOUS TRAINING AND EDUCATION: the HPRA expects that each IA holder completes 8 hours/year, 40 hours in 5 years.
10. NC3Rs: The link for updates is included as well as the use of tunnel for the handling of mice.
11. USEFUL LINKS are also included, please check them put.

APPLYING THE 3Rs: A CASE STUDY ON EVIDENCE AND PERCEPTIONS RELATING TO RAT CAGE HEIGHT IN THE UK

Please check this opinion paper at this link!
Animals 2019, 9, 1104; doi:10.3390/ani9121104

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO READ?

A flyer/poster was developed by NORECOPA to show its latest developments and it also gives useful links to the International Culture of Care Network, a compilation of severity classification systems for procedures and guidance documents for certain procedures such as toe-clipping and fasting in rodents:

https://norecopa.no/media/8323/norecopa-highlights-2019.pdf

The RSPCA has updated their website now including a new Reports and Resource hub. This now includes videos from a conference in Oxford on Animal Sentience:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUwBUVnkNey0rpsij5TkOIF0njvDk-a3A

Another Swedish study on group housing male mice was carried out by Swedish animal facilities:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/12/1010/htm

Regarding male mice, there is also another Nature publication out by Barabas et al, 2019, on ‘Proteome characterisation of used nesting material and potential protein sources from group housed male mice, ‘Mus musculus’:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53903-x.pdf

The presentations from the Danish 3R-Centre Symposium, which took place in November 2019, are now available online, covering presentations like the mouse passport, the 9 to 5 rodent by Penny Hawkins, sex bias in pre-clinical research and handling and training for less stressed laboratory rodents (RISE Research Institute Sweden):

https://3rcenter.dk/arrangementer/symposium-2019/

The RISE Research Institute Sweden has also made available a video in training and habituation techniques used for rodents at RISE:

https://www.ri.se/en/what-we-do/expertises/3r-refinement

Handling and training of rodents was also a topic of the 2019 NC3Rs/IAT Animal Technicians Symposium held in November 2019:

https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news/highlights-2019-nc3rsiat-animal-technicians-symposium

A new paper on ‘Confusing preclinical (predictive) drug screens with animal models of psychiatric disorders, or ‘disorder-like’ behaviour, is undermining confidence in behavioural neuroscience’:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269881116689260

Capas-Peneda et al (2019) from the University in Porto, Portugal, have developed a necropsy protocol for newborn mice:

https://norecopa.no/media/8281/capas-peneda-necropsy.pdf

......THERE IS MORE IN PAIN THAT MEETS THE EYE

Check this link on new considerations when measuring pain:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41684-019-0405-8

HPRA UPDATE NOV19

HPRA UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 2019:

The HPRA has circulated on the 29-11-19 their last regulatory update. It is really well worth a read since any of these documents summarise what it is expected from us as "users" and outlines what has been put in place recently. Check your LAPBRU-USERS folder of the M drive
Some of the topics addressed and more are:

• Closing dates for the Xmas season
• Fee update: ...Individual authorisation fee for registration and annual fee goes up to €295.
• Statistical reporting will be using the same spreadsheet, though note that support documentation has been updated with the most common mistakes and includes further clarifications that might help the quality of the submissions.
• Note that additional GA (general anaesthesia) or procedures preformed in lab animals outside the approved conditions must be done in consultation with the DV and reported to the AWB as a deviation.
• Provide food supplement to animals that expect to experience weight loss and acclimatise the animals to the supplements in advance.
• Hypothermia has been extensively addressed in this update in point 6. Please ready on standards expected.
• One area that will affect cost of current medicinal products is the most recent mandate regarding the broaching of medicinal products. Please check carefully the instructions and ensure that you do not exceed the recommended viable times.
• NC3Rs also has information on minimising aggression and refining handling  in miceas well as single-use-needle initiative.
• Additional useful links are included mainly one of ageing animals that they considered as essential reading if those models are used in our institution.

NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY ...DID IT AGAIN

Anaesthesia update...check this link for the latest e-modules in pre-anaesthesia and choosing anaesthetics https://flairelearning.com/all-courses/

....All FREE!!!

HUMAN END POINTS- A CRASH COURSE

Avoid this progression

🔻

🔻

Arora Bronstad illustrates in 2 minutes reasons behind humane end point...just 2 minutes of your time to remind you something that you already know .....but should have constantly in mind!
https://vimeo.com/318220053/1f5fbc5a68