CORE--CONTRACTILITY

骨骼肌收缩性被定义为肌肉中收缩蛋白相互作用并产生力的能力。所有的身体运动都依赖于骨骼肌的收缩。因此，骨骼肌收缩力的任何下降都会导致某种程度的不动。收缩力受到许多肌肉疾病，随机和工程基因突变，甚至健康衰老的损害。骨骼肌收缩性的定量知识是必要的，以测试关于基本细胞和分子过程中的缺陷和肌肉骨骼脆弱性和不动性之间的相互作用的假设。简而言之，核心的具体目标是为NSC研究者提供：（1）测量整个骨骼肌和膈肌完整纤维小条的收缩性的设施、专业知识和技术支持（2）测量收缩性所需的知识和技能的指导和培训;和（3）用于研究收缩性的技术的发展和/或专用装置的构造。收缩力最初在整个骨骼肌水平上测量，以提供由骨骼肌纤维中的细胞和分子变化引起的最广泛的功能变化，这些变化是由于老化或实验干预引起的。在项目的后期阶段，可能需要在细胞或分子水平上进行更复杂的评估。收缩力核心是为了确保所有NSC研究者能够在他们的实验中包括有效和可靠的骨骼肌收缩力测量。因此，收缩力核心向任何NSC研究者免费提供：（1）一项六对对照和实验啮齿动物的研究;（2）协助教育和培训NSC研究者、其工作人员或受训者独立设置仪器和测量收缩力;以及（3）协助开发一项创新技术，或者每年建造一个专门的测量收缩力的仪器。核心的后续使用通常是在收费服务的基础上，但如果结果是有希望的，特别是如果国家安全委员会研究人员建议寻求外部资金，额外的实验可能会由核心预算从未分配的收费支持。通过提供最先进的设施，技术和专业知识，核心增强和鼓励在UM和世界各地的衰老的基础生物学的多学科研究。

Skeletal muscle contractility is defined as the capability of the contractile proteins in a muscle to interact and generate force. All body movements are dependent on contractions of skeletal muscles. Consequently, any decline in skeletal muscle contractility results in some degree of immobility. Contractility is impaired by many muscle diseases, random and engineered genetic mutations, and even healthy aging. Quantitative knowledge of the contractility of skeletal muscles is necessary to test hypotheses regarding the interactions between deficits in basic cellular and molecular processes and musculoskeletal frailty and immobility. Briefly, the specific aims of the Core are to provide for NSC investigators: (1) facilities, expertise, and technical support for measuring contractility of whole skeletal muscles and small strips of intact fibers from the diaphragm muscle (2) instruction and training in the knowledge and skills necessary to measure contractility; and (3) development of techniques and/or construction of specialized apparatus for the study of the contractility. Contractility is measured initially at the level of the whole skeletal muscle to provide the broadest spectrum of functional changes arising from cellular and molecular changes in skeletal muscle fibers due to aging or experimental interventions. At later stages in a project, more sophisticated evaluations may be required at the cellular or molecular levels. The Contractility Core was developed to ensure that all NSC investigators are able to include valid and reliable measurements of skeletal muscle contractility in their experiments. Consequently, the Contractility Core provides free to any NSC investigator: (1) one study of six pairs of control and experimental rodents; (2) assistance in education and training NSC investigators, their staff, or trainees to set-up the apparatus and measure contractility independently; and (3) assistance in the development of one innovative technique, or the construction of one specialized instrument for the measurement of contractility per year. Subsequent use of the Core is generally on a fee-for-service basis, but if results are promising and particularly if the NSC investigator proposes to seek outside funding, additional experiments may be supported by the Core budget from unallocated charge-back-fees. Through the provision of state-of-the-art facilities, techniques and expertise, the Core enhances and encourages multidisciplinary research in the basic biology of aging at UM and worldwide.