Impact of aspen furniture and restricted feeding on activity, blood pressure, heart rate and faecal corticosterone and immunoglobulin A excretion in rats (Rattus norvegicus) housed in individually ventilated cages.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of adding different items in individually ventilated rat cages on the animal's activity, cardiovascular parameters and faecal stress indicators. The following three cage items made of aspen were compared: a cross made of two intersecting boards, a similar cross where drilled holes were loaded with food pellets (restricted feeding) and a rectangular tube. Male rats of the strains BN and F344 (n = 12) were housed in groups of three; one rat in each group was implanted with a telemetric transponder to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR).

The effect of dividing walls, a tunnel, and restricted feeding on cardiovascular responses to cage change and gavage in rats (Rattus norvegicus).

Cage change and gavage are routine procedures in animal facilities, yet little is known about whether housing modifications change responses to these procedures. Telemetric activity and cardiovascular parameters were assessed in this experiment. BN and F344 male rats were housed in open or individually ventilated cages, each containing 3 rats, 1 of which had a transponder.

Is it possible to reduce endoscopy workload using age, alarm symptoms and H. pylori as predictors of peptic ulcer and oesophagogastric cancers?

Objectives: We examined referrals to oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and the impact of demographic and clinical variables to predict major findings (peptic ulcer, cancer) on oesophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Methods: We collected data on 3669 consecutive patients referred for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Results: Dyspeptic and reflux symptoms constituted 80% of oesophagogastroduodenoscopy referrals.

A study design to measure the outcomes of education in data security issues among health care professionals.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a study design compiled to measure the outcomes of education in health care data security issues. Based on previous studies the knowledge in data security is not very comprehensive and health care professionals feel that they need more education and training in information technology, specially in the filed of data security issues.

Age matters: collagen birefringence of superficial articular cartilage is increased in young guinea-pigs but decreased in older animals after identical physiological type of joint loading.

Objective: To compare responses of the collagen network and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of articular cartilage to physiological type of joint loading in young growing and adult mature guinea-pigs.

Design: 10- and 44-week-old guinea-pigs were accustomed to treadmill running for 3 weeks. Thereafter the animals ran 2500 m/day, 5 days a week, for 15 weeks.