A young gerbil sitting by the food bowl to eat. Gerbils are social animals, and live in groups in the wild. They rely on their sense of smell to identify other members of their clan, so it is important to use what is commonly referred to as the split tank method when introducing gerbils from separate litters.
Activity Summary. The ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) bundle is a focus of many health care institutions. Many hospitals are conducting process- improvement projects in an attempt to improve VAP rates by implementing the bundle. However, this bundle is controversial in the literature, because the evidence supporting the VAP interventions is weak. In addition, definitions used for surveillance are interpreted differently than definitions used for clinical diagnosis. The variance in definitions has led to lower reported VAP rates, which may not be accurate.
A vascular bundle is a part of the transport system in vascular plants. The transport itself happens in vascular tissue, which exists in two forms: xylem and phloem. Both these tissues are present in a vascular bundle, which in addition will include supporting and protective tissues. The xylem typically lies adaxial with phloem positioned abaxial. In a stem or root this means that the xylem is closer to the centre of the stem or root while the phloem is closer to the exterior.