This study is the first to specifically examine potential sites underlying the decreases in neural activation of muscle and force production after a bout of muscle stretching. However, no changes were found in either the H-reflex or motor-evoked potential amplitude during submaximal contractions.

This is the first report of intravascular lymphoma causing glucocorticoid-deficient hypoadrenocorticism in a dog.

Background Diagnosis of infiltrative small intestinal (SI) disease in cats is challenging, and debate continues regarding optimal biopsy techniques. Ultrasonography may facilitate selection of biopsy type and location. Hypothesis/Objectives Assess ability of ultrasonography to predict histologic lesions by SI segment and tissue layer. Animals One‐hundred sixty‐nine cats that had abdominal ultrasonography and full‐thickness SI biopsies performed. Methods Ultrasonographic images and full‐thickness biopsy samples were retrospectively reviewed, and each SI wall layer evaluated for lesions according to published standards. Results Ultrasonographic SI lesions were present in 132 cats (63 duodenum; 115 jejunum; 71 ileum). Samples were obtained at laparotomy (60) or necropsy (109). Ultrasonographic abnormalities had high positive predictive value (PPV) for histologic lesions (duodenum, 82.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 68.6‐91.4; jejunum, 91.0%; 95% CI, 81.5‐96.6; ileum, 88.1%; 95% CI, 74.4‐96.0), but poor negative predictive value (duodenum, 27.1%; 95% CI, 17.2‐39.1; jejunum, 27.3%; 95% CI, 10.7‐50.2; ileum, 40.4%; 95% CI, 26.4‐55.7). The ability of ultrasonography to predict histologic lesions in this population, which had high disease prevalence (SI histologic lesions in 78.1% of cats) was high for mucosal lesions (PPV, 72.7%‐100%) but low for submucosal or muscularis lesions (PPV, 18.9%‐57.1%). Conclusions and Clinical Importance In a population with high disease prevalence, most cats with SI mucosal ultrasonographic lesions will have mucosal histologic lesions. Small intestinal submucosal and muscularis ultrasonographic lesions are not predictive of histologic disease in those layers, suggesting that full‐thickness biopsy may not be essential in these cats. Ultrasonography may help guide decisions about biopsy type in individual cats.

The progression of Chagas disease (CD) varies significantly from host to host and is affected by multiple factors. In particular, mixed strain infections and reinfections have the potential to exacerbate disease progression subsequently affecting clinical management of patients with CD. Consequently, an associated reduction in therapeutic intervention and poor prognosis may occur due to this exacerbated disease state. This study investigated the effects of mixed strain infections and reinfection with Trypanosoma cruzi in mice, using two isolates from different discrete typing units, TcI (C8 clone 1) and TcIV (10R26). There were no significant differences in mortality rate, body weight or body condition among mice infected with either C8 clone 1, 10R26, or a mixture of both isolates. However, the parasite was found in a significantly greater number of host organs in mice infected with a mixture of isolates, and the histopathological response to infection was significantly greater in mice infected with C8 clone 1 alone, and C8 clone 1+10R26 mixed infections than in mice infected with 10R26 alone. To investigate the effects of reinfection, mice received either a double exposure to C8 clone 1; a double exposure to 10R26; exposure to C8 clone 1 followed by 10R26; or exposure to 10R26 followed by C8 clone 1. Compared to single infection groups, mortality was significantly increased, while survival time, body weight and body condition were all significantly decreased across all reinfection groups, with no significant differences among these groups. The mortality rate over all reinfection groups was 63.6%, compared to 0% in single infection groups, however there was no evidence of a greater histopathological response to infection. These results suggest firstly, that the C8 clone 1 isolate is more virulent than the 10R26 isolate, and secondly, that a more disseminated infection may occur with a mixture of isolates than with single isolates, although there is no evidence that mixed infections have a greater pathological effect. By contrast, reinfections do have major effects on host survivability and thus disease outcome. This confirms previous research demonstrating spontaneous deaths following reinfection, a phenomenon that to our knowledge has only been reported once before.

The COVID-19 outbreak presents a serious health challenges, with Australia enforcing tight restrictions, impacting sporting activities and sleep health of many Australians. Routine lifestyle patterns (physical activity and employment) are important to maintaining overall sleep health. Current literature indicates COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the employment status and sport engagement. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of physical activity during COVID-19 on sleep health, and its association with employment and sport engagement of community-level athletes throughout Australia. Participants self-reported sleep health prior to COVID-19 (pre-sleep) and over the month prior to data collection (during-sleep) using the validated 5-item Satisfaction Alertness Timing Efficiency and Duration questionnaire (SATED). Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test assessed the difference in pre- and during perceived sleep health scores. A generalized linear model was used to assess the impact of sporting and demographic factors on a community athlete’s change in perceived sleep health score. A total of 139 community-level Australian athletes responded. The majority of participants were aged 18–30 and engaged in full-time employment prior to COVID-19 (n = 82, 54%). Eight percent of participants were unemployed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 12, 8%). Our findings show that sleep health values were higher during COVID-19, with 91.4% of respondents able to maintain some form of physical activity during the pandemic. Together, our results show better sleep health scores reported by the respondents who maintained or lost employment and maintained sporting engagements during the pandemic.