Animal Welfare Information Center Newsletter, Summer 1997, Vol. 8, no. 2

PREX On-line Information Service: Biomedical and Laboratory Animal Databases

Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. (Samuel Johnson, 1775)

Utrecht University The Netherlands

In October 1996, I had the good fortune to attend the World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences held in Utrecht, The Netherlands. And good fortune it was spending part of an afternoon with Hans Kuiper, who manages the not-for-profit PREX on-line information service at Utrecht University. I'm always on the lookout for ways to improve AWIC's ability to answer patrons' requests for practical information on laboratory animals or alternatives to the use of those animals. After using the PREX system for more than 9 months, I can say without a doubt, if you use laboratory animals in a research or educational setting, you should have access to this marvelous system of databases. In the next few pages, we'll take a look at the type of information that is easily retrieved from PREX, technical requirements, and how to obtain access to this database.

The PREX on-line information service will give you easy access to major sources of the world's biomedical and veterinary literature through the databases MEDLINE, AGRICOLA, CAB International, and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts' LIFE SCIENCES. But the greater utility of PREX lies in its core databases on laboratory animal sciences and alternatives. These databases give computer access to references and information that are not available on any other database system currently accessible by the scientific community. And the databases are updated on a continuous basis. Need concise information on the physiology or pathology of an ACI rat? Look in STRAIN DESCRIPTIONS, and you'll find information on median lifespans, incidence of cystic kidneys, atrophic testes, spontaneous adenocarcinomas, etc. Other information includes drug effects, reproductive performance, and, of course, literature references. Trying to locate a source of Djungarian hamsters? Look in STRAIN SOURCES for complete contact information and general health status (SPF, minimal disease, etc.). Want to find the abdominal skin pH of Sprague-Dawley rats? Look in BIOLOGICAL VALUES. Through collaborations with scientists and research facilities around the world, PREX has produced a unique and comprehensive source of laboratory animal information. The databases include:

MAJOR DATABASES

• AGRICOLA 1970-present
  Literature citations (often with abstracts) covering veterinary medicine, laboratory animal sciences, animal welfare, alternatives, as well as agriculture and other life sciences. Sources include 1,400 journals, as well as textbooks, reports, monographs, theses, newsletters, professional magazines, U.S. and foreign Government publications. Size: 4 million records. Produced by the National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S.A.

• CAB-INTERNATIONAL DATABASES 1972-present
  Literature citations (often with abstracts) covering veterinary science, laboratory animal science, animal welfare, animal health, animal breeding, dairy science, dairy technology, and nutrition. Sources include journals, books, serial monographs, reports, and newsletters, theses, symposium proceedings, etc. Size: 800,000 records. Updated every month. Produced by CAB-International, U.K.

• MEDLINE 1984-present
  Literature citations (often with abstracts) covering the broad field of biomedical and clinical research, veterinary medicine, laboratory animal science, animal welfare, and alternatives. Sources include 3,400 journals. Size: 3.5 million records. Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, U.S.A.

• CSA LIFE SCIENCES 1985-present
  Literature citations (often with abstracts) covering 20 life science disciplines from biomedical topics to viral genetics, includes information on laboratory animal science. Sources include more than 5,000 journals, selected books, conference reports, and U.S. patents. Size: 1,074,000 records. Produced by Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, U.S.A.

CORE DATABASES

• AT ALTERNATIVES circa 1920's-present
  Literature citations on alternatives to animal experiments. Size: 13,000 records. Updated twice a year. Produced by Akademie für Tierschutz, Germany. Supported by National Center for Alternatives (INCA) in The Netherlands.

• BIOLOGICAL VALUES
  Biological reference values of laboratory animals, and hematological and clinical chemistry values with literature references and statistical parameters. This database is currently being developed. Size: 7,000 records. Produced by PREX, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

• BIOMEDICAL DISSERTATIONS
  Biomedical academic dissertations (including abstracts) from Dutch universities. Size: 3,600 records. Produced by Euroscience, The Netherlands.

• BOOKS
  Contents (chapter titles and bibliographic details) of 250 books on laboratory animal science. Size: 6,500 records. Produced by PREX, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

• CABILINE
  Index of agricultural and veterinary journals including journal title, ISSN, publisher, and country of publication. Size: about 9,000 records. Produced by CAB-International, U.K.

• CURRENT CITATION 1995-present
  Literature citations (without abstracts) of 11,000 journals. These are the most frequently requested journals for document delivery by the British Library. Size: 2 million records. Updated every month. Produced by the British Library, U.K.

• DRUG DOSAGES
  Drug dosage database for non-antibiotic drugs. Contains information on 12,000 dosing regimens for more than 800 drugs. More than 4,500 of the dosages provided are for anesthetic and analgesic drugs. Animals covered include all laboratory and farm animals, zoo animals, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Corresponds to VETBASE, a PC version (see AWIC Newsletter Spring 1997 8 (1): 20). Produced by J.D. Kuiper, Ph.D. and H.J. Kuiper, Ph.D., Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

• INSIDE CONFERENCES
  Citations (without abstracts but including keywords) covering conferences on a wide range of topics including biomedical and clinical research. Information includes author and title of presentation, conference title, date, and venue. Size: Over 2 million records. Produced by the British Library, U.K.

• LABORATORY ANIMAL LITERATURE circa 1920's-present
  Literature references (including keywords) from the core journals in laboratory animal science. Includes information on husbandry, genetics, origins of animal strains, techniques, veterinary care, etc. Size: 12,000 records. Produced by PREX, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

• NORINA (Norwegian Inventory of Audiovisuals)
  Index of audiovisual media (including video tapes, slides) with abstract, availability, and other details. Source for teaching material on laboratory animal science. Size: 2,700 records. Updated every year. Produced by Adrian Smith, Ph.D. and Richard Fosse, D.V.M., Norway.

• SERLINE
  Index of biomedical journals with complete and abbreviated title, language, ISSN, and keywords to describe the scope of the journal. Size: over 31,000 records. Updated every year. Produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, U.S.A.

• STRAIN DESCRIPTION
  Description of the characteristics of inbred mouse and rat strains. Subjects are: origin, behavior, physiology, pathology, literature references. Size: 700 records. Produced by M.F.W. Festing Ph.D., U.K.

• STRAIN SOURCES
  Sources of inbred strains of mice and rats, availability, microbiological status and breeding addresses. Size: 7,000 records. Produced by M.F.W. Festing Ph.D., U.K.

• VETDOSER
  Dosages of antibiotics for antimicrobial therapy in companion animals, large animals, laboratory animals, and exotic animals, including literature references. The database is in Dutch, but will also be translated into English. Size: 4,200 records. Updated annually. Produced by J.D. Kuiper, Ph. D. and A.E.J.M. van deli Bogaard, The Netherlands.

• VETERINARY DISSERTATIONS
  Veterinary academic dissertations from European universities. Size: 2,400 records. Produced by Euroscience, The Netherlands.

• VGR. VET DRUGS (in Dutch)
  Description of veterinary drugs registered for use in The Netherlands. Information includes generic names, guidelines for use, dosages, withdrawal times, indications, interactions with other drugs, animals for use in, etc. Produced by the Veterinary Pharmacy, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.

Even if you are not accustomed to searching databases, PREX is easy to use because it is menu-driven. Searching the PREX system can be performed using boolean logic (use of the terms and, or, not, to allow formation of concepts), truncation of words to ensure retrieval of all pertinent materials or ability to search for phrases. Terms can be limited to particular fields (title, abstract, etc.) or limited by date to allow for a more refined search. Although it is not possible to search multiple databases simultaneously, PREX has an easy to use save search-execute search function that makes it easy to move from one database to the next looking for information. Information retrieved can be marked for downloading or printing. Unlike commercial systems, there is no additional charge for downloading or printing records. And lest you be concerned, 98 percent of the information is in English. The only exceptions are VETDOSER, a database of veterinary antibiotic dosages (it is currently in Dutch, but will be translated to English in the near future), and VGR. VET DRUGS, a registry of drugs registered for use in The Netherlands. But why wait. Be adventurous! Buy an Engels-Nederlands Woordenboek and learn to spreek een beetje Nederlands.

Access to the PREX system for subscribers outside the Utrecht vicinity is best accomplished through a Telnet link (VT100 or VT220 terminal emulation), although you can also connect by modem via national or international telephone networks. I have been using PREX routinely for the past 9 months and have had few problems accessing the PREX host computer by Telnet. Users receive a diskette with PREX-Userinterface (MS-DOS), a menu-driven program to facilitate connection to the PREX host computer. You must specify whether you have an Internet or modem connection. Access is available 24 hours a day. And if you would like to try it out, some of the databases can be accessed free-of-charge at the following Telnet address 131.211.172.21 Log in as: guest (must be in lower case), password: guest (again in lower case). Or you can access the PREX Web page at http://prex.las.vet.uu.nl/, go to PREX Databases, and follow the instructions for logging on to the system.

Subscriptions run from January to December. The subscription fee depends on your choice of the major databases listed earlier. All users have access to the 16 core databases. Subscriptions that start mid-year are prorated. Subscriptions start at 590 Dutch guilders (Dfl590) (US$370) for 1 major database to Dfl790 (US$495) for all major databases. Users receive 120 hours search time per year. Subscribers also receive an easy-to-use manual and password. The few times I had problems I received excellent assistance via e-mail from Theo Bakker, PREX Systems Administrator. There is also a help screen accessible from the main menu.

In short, the PREX on-line information service provides you with low-cost, easy access to a broad range of experimental and applied information that should be indispensable to those working with animals or looking for alternatives to the use of animals in a laboratory or clinical setting.

For additional information on the PREX on-line information service, contact Hans Kuiper at PREX, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.166, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands, phone: 31 30 25 33 158, fax: 31 30 25 36 747, e-mail: prex@pdk.dgk.ruu.nl, website: http://prex.las.vet.uu.nl/ And by the way, the pH of a Sprague-Dawley rat's abdominal skin is 6.6.

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