NAGANO, Japan, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Seismic waves produced by Sunday's earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia, were tracked traveling three times around the globe, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

According to the Matsushiro Seismological Observatory in Nagano prefecture, its precision equipment observed repeated seismic waves from the temblor that hit Sumatra.

It is very rare for seismic waves to be observed repeatedly circling the earth, which underscores the immense power of Sunday's quake, agency officials were quoted Wednesday by Asahi Shimbun as saying.

The waves that traveled northeast along the earth's surface reached Nagano around 10:20 a.m. (Japan time), then around 12:55 p.m. on their second cycle and 3:30 p.m. on the third.

Seismic waves traveling southwest reached the observatory around noon on the first cycle, then around 2:40 p.m. on the second, according to officials at the agency.

New findings about animal experiments

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A study says mice, rabbits, rats, beagles and other animals all show more physiological stress to routine laboratory procedures than previously known.

Until now, experts had viewed such stress as relatively benign.

The new findings by ethologist Jonathan Balcombe of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine are published in Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science.

The findings say a mouse which is picked up and briefly held experiences several physiological reactions. As stress-response hormones flood the bloodstream, the mouse exhibits a racing pulse and a spike in blood pressure.

In rats and mice, the growth of tumors is strongly influenced by how much the animals are handled, the study says.

Until now, humane concerns focused mainly on the experiments themselves. The new findings suggest that routine procedures, such as blood draws and use of stomach tubes, are terrifying for animals.

"In essence, there is no such thing as a humane animal experiment," says Balcombe. "Fear or panic ensues when the animal is touched or stuck with a needle."

Heart doc: No drug ads pitched to patients

CLEVELAND, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A noted heart doctor from Cleveland says U.S. regulators should reassess their policy of letting prescription drugs be advertised directly to consumers.

Dr. Eric J. Topol of the Cleveland Clinic argued Tuesday in the online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association that the heart-attack risks of arthritis painkillers Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex have exposed a regulatory "house of cards" at the Food and Drug Administration.

"Unbridled promotion exacerbated the public health problem," Topol said. "The combination of mass promotion of a medicine with an unknown and suspect safety profile cannot be tolerated in the future."

FDA officials have not publicly addressed the issue of whether high-powered advertising campaigns for newly approved drugs are in the best interest of public health.

Other leading academic researchers have suggested that new drugs should be subject to a trial period before they can be touted directly to patients.

Canada may halt U.S. Internet drug sales

OTTAWA, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Within weeks, the flow of Canadian drugs purchased by U.S. citizens over the Internet could be stopped by the Canadian government, USA Today said Wednesday.

"We're hanging by a thread," said Dave MacKay of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, which represents pharmacies that do business in the United States. "There's a very real chance by the middle of January, drugs will not flow from Canada anymore."

The fear among Internet pharmacies has grown in recent weeks as Canadian health minister Ujjal Dosanjh warned he might prevent Canadian doctors from co-signing prescriptions for U.S. patients they have not examined. He has also said he fears U.S. demand might cause shortages for Canadians.

Lothar Dueck of the Coalition for Manitoba Pharmacy, an opponent of drug sales to the United States, said the growing trade has led to increased drug prices in Canada. He also says the matter is part of ongoing trade disputes between the two countries.

"The United States doesn't want our wheat, wood, beef or pigs. Why do they want our drugs?" Dueck said.