Considering hand-held dynamometry's ease of use, portability, cost, and compact size, compared with isokinetic devices this instrument can be regarded as a reliable and valid instrument for muscle strength assessment in a clinical setting.

Background/Methods: We have examined the hypothesis that cyst formation is key in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in a Lewis polycystic kidney (LPK) model of autosomal-recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), by determining the relationship between cyst development and indices of renal function and cardiovascular disease. Results: In the LPK (n = 35), cysts appear at week 3 (1.1 ± 0.1 mm) increasing to week 24 (2.8 ± 2 mm). Immunostaining for nephron-specific segments indicate cysts develop predominantly from the collecting duct. Cyst formation preceded hypertension (160 ± 22 vs. Lewis control 105 ± 20 mm Hg systolic blood pressure (BP), n = 12) at week 6, elevated creatinine (109 ± 63 vs. 59 ± 6 µmol/l, n = 16) and cardiac mass (0.7 vs. 0.4% bodyweight, n = 15) at week 12, and left ventricular hypertrophy (2,898 ± 207 vs. 1,808 ± 192 µm, n = 14) at week 24 (all p ≤ 0.05). Plasma-renin activity and angiotensin II were reduced in 10- to 12-week LPK (2.2 ± 2.9 vs. Lewis 11.9 ± 4.9 ng/ml/h, and 25.0 ± 19.1 vs. 94.9 ± 64.4 pg/ml, respectively, n = 26, p ≤ 0.05). Ganglionic blockade (hexamethonium 3.3 mg/kg) significantly reduced mean BP in the LPK (52 vs. Lewis 4%, n = 9, p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Cyst formation is a key event in the genesis of hypertension while the sympathetic nervous system is important in the maintenance of hypertension in this model of ARPKD.

The findings suggest that trait perfectionism is an individual difference that enhances vulnerability to the risk of greater distress in response to morally challenging events in veterinary practice. The implications of these findings and directions for further research are discussed.

1. Activation of angiotensin II AT1 receptors (AT1R) stimulates catecholamine systems within both central and peripheral tissues that are associated with blood pressure control. In the present study, we sought to determine whether the hypertensive phenotype of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is associated with changes in AT1R gene expression and whether gene expression of downstream signalling molecules was coupled to catecholamine gene expression, both in key brainstem nuclei and in peripheral sites implicated in cardiovascular control. 2. Gene expression levels of AT1R, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) were quantified in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHR. Messenger RNA expression levels were quantified using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In addition, we investigated whether there was a relationship between gene expression and systolic blood pressure. 3. The gene expression levels of AT1R, ERK2 and PI3-K were significantly higher in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (4.12-, 1.40- and 1.38-fold, respectively), rostral ventrolateral medulla (2.71-, 1.33- and 2.73-fold, respectively), spinal cord (30.5-, 2.72- and 1.53-fold, respectively), adrenal medulla (1.68-, 1.55- and 1.76-fold, respectively) and coeliac ganglion (1.39-, 1.35- and 1.12-fold, respectively) in SHR compared with WKY rats. There was no significant difference in the level of ERK1 gene expression between the two strains. The gene expression levels of AT1R and ERK2 were positively correlated with blood pressure in all central nervous tissues investigated in the SHR, but not in WKY rats. Gene expression levels of the AT1R in the coeliac ganglion and adrenal medulla were also positively correlated with increased systolic blood pressure. 4. The present data suggest that a defect in AT1R expression (that may further alter downstream signalling pathways) in the SHR may be responsible, at least in part, for the hypertensive phenotype.

Veterinarians are more likely to experience mood disorders and suicide than other occupational groups (Fritschi, Morrison, Shirangi & Day, 2009; Platt, Hawton, Simkin, & Mellanby, 2010). The performance of euthanasia has been implicated as contributing determinately to the prevalence of suicide risk and psychological distress in veterinarians (Bartram & Baldwin, 2008, 2010). In contrast, the application of psychological approaches would suggest a possible protective role for euthanasia administration. This paper is the first to investigate the association between euthanasia-administration frequency and depressed mood and suicide risk. A cross-sectional survey sampled 540 Australia-registered veterinarians (63.8% women), ranging in age from 23 to 74. Results revealed that the administration of objectionable euthanasia (i.e., euthanasia that the veterinarian disagreed with) was not related to our mental health variables. In contrast, overall euthanasia frequency had a weak positive linear relationship with depression. Moreover, overall euthanasia frequency moderated the impact of depression on suicide risk. The nature of this moderation suggested that average frequency per week of performing euthanasia attenuated the relationship between depressed mood and suicide risk. The implications of these findings and directions for further research are discussed.