Reproducibility of three 6-min walk tests in patients with COPD referred for pulmonary rehabilitation.

Introduction And Objectives: The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is used to assess functional capacity in patients with COPD. A significant number of studies have shown that most patients walk further in a second 6MWT. Research on a further increase in the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) during a 3rd test performed in accordance with current guidelines has not been done.

The Potential Use and Value of a Wearable Monitoring Bracelet for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Qualitative Study Investigating the Patient and Health Care Professional Perspectives.

Background: The occurrence of exacerbations has major effects on the health of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Monitoring devices that measure (vital) parameters hold promise for timely identification and treatment of exacerbations. Stakeholders' perspectives on the use of monitoring devices are of importance for the successful development and implementation of a device.

[Death of an older patient after reactivation of latent tuberculosis].

Latent tuberculosis has a high prevalence rate among older patients. Latent tuberculosis could be reactivated when patients are treated with immunosuppression. Therefore it is crucial to create awareness of the high prevalence of tuberculosis in the older patient.

Central IGF-I Receptors in the Brain are Instrumental to Neuroprotection by Systemically Injected IGF-I in a Rat Model for Ischemic Stroke.

Aim: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a neuroprotective agent in animal models of ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine whether systemically injected IGF-I exerts its neuroprotective action by binding to IGF-I receptors in the brain after crossing the blood-brain barrier, or via peripheral effects.

Methods: To differentiate the central effects of IGF-I from systemic effects, ischemic stroke was induced in conscious male Wistar Kyoto rats by the injection of endothelin-1 adjacent to the middle cerebral artery in the right hemisphere, while either the IGF-I receptor antagonist JB-1 or vehicle was introduced into the right lateral ventricle.

Genomic evaluation of a relatively small dairy cattle population by combination with a larger population.

The objectives were to investigate the accuracy of genomic evaluations obtained for a small dairy cattle population (Israeli Holsteins) via joint evaluation with a larger population (Dutch Holsteins), and to evaluate the use of pedigree data from foreign bulls computed by Interbull without daughter records in Israel. The training population included 4,010 Dutch bulls and 713 Israeli bulls. The validation population included 185 Israeli bulls with daughter records for milk production traits and slightly fewer bulls for the nonproduction traits.

Reduction of exacerbation frequency in patients with COPD after participation in a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an important treatment option for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and might contribute to a reduction in exacerbation and exacerbation-related hospitalization rate.

Methods: In this prospective study, all COPD patients that completed a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program (PRP) between June 2006 and December 2012 were included. Self-reported exacerbation and hospitalization frequency 1 year before PR was retrospectively recorded.

Neuroprotective efficacy of subcutaneous insulin-like growth factor-I administration in normotensive and hypertensive rats with an ischemic stroke.

The aim of this study was to test the insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) as a neuroprotective agent in a rat model for ischemic stroke and to compare its neuroprotective effects in conscious normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats. The effects of subcutaneous IGF-I injection were investigated in both rat strains using the endothelin-1 rat model for ischemic stroke. Motor-sensory functions were measured using the Neurological Deficit Score.

Mild hypothermia reduces activated caspase-3 up to 1 week after a focal cerebral ischemia induced by endothelin-1 in rats.

Hypothermia is a promising neuroprotective therapy that has been shown to reduce apoptosis after an ischemic insult. This study evaluated the effect of mild hypothermia on activated caspase-3 up to 1 week after the induction of a stroke. Endothelin-1 (Et-1) was used to elicit transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Genetic correlation between composition of bovine milk fat in winter and summer, and DGAT1 and SCD1 by season interactions.

Milk fat composition shows substantial seasonal variation, most of which is probably caused by differences in the feeding of dairy cows. The present study aimed to know whether milk fat composition in winter is genetically the same trait as milk fat composition in summer. For this purpose, we estimated heritabilities, genetic correlations, effects of acyl-coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) K232A, and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) A293V polymorphisms for milk fat composition in winter and summer, and tested for genotype by season interactions of DGAT1 K232A and SCD1 A293V polymorphisms.

Spontaneously hypertensive rats display reduced microglial activation in response to ischemic stroke and lipopolysaccharide.

Background: For successful translation to clinical stroke studies, the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Round Table criteria have been proposed. Two important criteria are testing of therapeutic interventions in conscious animals and the presence of a co-morbidity factor. We chose to work with hypertensive rats since hypertension is an important modifiable risk factor for stroke and influences the clinical outcome.

Short communication: Genome-wide scan for bovine milk-fat composition. II. Quantitative trait loci for long-chain fatty acids.

We present the results of a genome-wide scan to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to genetic variation in long-chain milk fatty acids. Milk-fat composition phenotypes were available on 1,905 Dutch Holstein-Friesian cows. A total of 849 cows and their 7 sires were genotyped for 1,341 single nucleotide polymorphisms across all Bos taurus autosomes (BTA).

Genome-wide scan for bovine milk-fat composition. I. Quantitative trait loci for short- and medium-chain fatty acids.

A genome-wide scan was performed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for short- and medium-chain fatty acids (expressed in wt/wt %). Milk samples were available from 1,905 cows from 398 commercial herds in the Netherlands, and milk-fat composition was measured by gas chromatography. DNA was available from 7 of the paternal half-sib families: 849 cows and their 7 sires.

Effect of lactation stage and energy status on milk fat composition of Holstein-Friesian cows.

The effects of lactation stage, negative energy balance (NEB), and milk fat depression (MFD) were estimated on detailed milk fat composition in primiparous Holstein-Friesian cows. One morning milk sample was collected from each of 1,933 cows from 398 commercial Dutch herds in winter 2005. Milk fat composition was measured using gas chromatography, and fat and protein percentage were measured using infrared spectrometry.

Genetic parameters for major milk fatty acids and milk production traits of Dutch Holstein-Friesians.

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for major milk fatty acids and milk production traits. One morning milk sample was collected from 1,918 Holstein-Friesian heifers located in 398 commercial herds in The Netherlands. Each sample was analyzed for total percentages of fat and protein, and for detailed fatty acid percentages (computed as fatty acid weight as a proportion of total fat weight).

DGAT1 underlies large genetic variation in milk-fat composition of dairy cows.

Dietary fat may play a role in the aetiology of many chronic diseases. Milk and milk-derived foods contribute substantially to dietary fat, but have a fat composition that is not optimal for human health. We measured the fat composition of milk samples in 1918 Dutch Holstein Friesian cows in their first lactation and estimated genetic parameters for fatty acids.

Genetic parameters for milk urea nitrogen in relation to milk production traits.

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for test-day milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and its relationships with milk production traits. Three test-day morning milk samples were collected from 1,953 Holstein-Friesian heifers located on 398 commercial herds in The Netherlands. Each sample was analyzed for somatic cell count, net energy concentration, MUN, and the percentage of fat, protein, and lactose.