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Reducing Exposure to Laboratory Animal Allergens
Ambient allergen concentrations were measured when mice were maintained under several conditions: conventional housing versus ventilated cage racks operated under negative or positive pressure. We found that housing mice in ventilated cages operated under negative pressure reduced ambient mouse allergen (Mus m 1) concentrations tenfold. Animal Care Systems is the original direct-exhaust negative pressure IVC…
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The Effects of Cage Design on Airborne Allergens and Endotoxin in Animal Rooms: High-Volume Measurements with an Ion-Charging Device
The use of filter tops on cages corresponds to a 50-fold reduction in mean levels of both airborne allergens (P < 0.001) and endotoxin (P < 0.001). The use of vented cages with filtered exhaust ports was associated with additional reductions. Animal Care Systems is the original direct-exhaust negative pressure IVC System with a filtered…
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Assessing the Risk of Transmission of Three Infectious Agents Among Mice Housed in a Negatively Pressurized Caging System
This paper concludes the caging systems run at negative pressure effectively reduce personnel exposure to allergens and may also inhibit the transmission of infectious diseases. Animal Care Systems is the original direct-exhaust negative pressure IVC System. Keywords: Room Ventilation, allergens, Laboratory Animal Allergy, ACH, air changes per hour; cfm, cubic feet per minute; air quality,…
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Particulate Matter in Animal Rooms Housing Mice in Microisolation Caging
This paper concludes that considering the heat load, odor, and overall particulate concentration in the room, placing individually ventilated caging under negative pressure with exhaust air returned to the HVAC system appears to be the optimal overall choice when using microisolation housing for rodents. Animal Care Systems is the original direct-exhaust negative pressure IVC System.…
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Influence of 5 Different Caging Types and the Use of Cage-Changing Stations on Mouse Allergen Exposure
Allergen concentrations were lowest in rooms with sealed IVC under positive or negative pressure, with unsealed IVC under negative pressure, and with static microisolation caging. Animal Care Systems is the original direct-exhaust negative pressure IVC System. Keywords: Room Ventilation, allergens, Laboratory Animal Allergy, ACH, air changes per hour; cfm, cubic feet per minute; air quality,…
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Effect of Room Ventilation Rates in Rodent Rooms with Direct-Exhaust IVC Systems
When IVC are directly exhausted from a rodent housing room, the air quality of the room can become independent of the intracage air quality and may reduce the need for high room ventilation rates. Air quality in the room and in the cages were acceptable with room ventilation rates of 5 to 6 ACH in…
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Using the Lean Six Sigma Methodology to Reduce Mouse Cage Sanitation Time for Animal Care and Use Programs
The cage sanitation process for animals used in biomedical research can be labor-intensive.Procedures are described in this paper that resulted in reduction of the average mouse cage sanitation process cycle time by 35 min, and the time saved was reinvested within the ACO to provide technicians additional time to complete other valuable tasks and thus…
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Feasibility of Using Rice Hulls as Bedding for Laboratory Mice
Rice hulls have a relatively poor moisture control which is a major disadvantage that might preclude their widespread use. Mice were housed in Optimice housing. Keywords: Welfare, laboratory mouse bedding, ammonia, housing, cage environment, microenvironment, corncob, Optimice, mice, mouse Carbone, Elizabeth; Kass, Philip; Evans, Kristin. Feasibility of Using Rice Hulls as Bedding for Laboratory Mice.…
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A Rac/Cdc42 Exchange Factor Complex Promotes Formation of Lateral Filopodia and Blood Vessel Lumen Morphogenesis
This paper shows that lumen formation requires early cytoskeletal remodelling and lateral cell–cell contacts, mediated through the RAC1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) DOCK4 (dedicator of cytokinesis 4). Mice were housed in Optimice cages. Keywords: Transgenic, gene expression, Angiogenesis, anatomy, Optimice, mice, mouse Sabu Abraham, Margherita Scarcia, Richard D. Bagshaw, Kathryn McMahon, Gary Grant, Tracey…
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Actin Disruption Results in Altered Morphology of Basal Tubulobulbar Complexes in Rat Seminiferous Epithelium
These results are consistent with the conclusion that intact networks of actin filaments are required for maintaining the structural integrity of Basal tubulobulbar complexes (TBCs). Rats were housed in Optirat Plus cages. Keywords: Anatomy, Tubulobulbar complexes (TBCs) , sertoli cells,, anatomy, Reproductive, Optirat Plus, rat Aarati Sriram, Kevin R.P. Lyon, Clement Dallas Ho, Nghi Huynh,…